Can more vigorous political competition significantly raise rural land values, or contribute to more robust land rental markets? Exploiting exogenous variation in the national popularity of Pakistan’s political parties during the 2008 elections, we show that provincial assembly constituencies with greater competition between political parties had significantly higher land values and more active land rental markets four years later.

This 2012 Global Food Policy Report is the second in an annual series that provides an in-depth look at major food policy developments and events. Initiated in response to resurgent interest in food security, the series offers a yearly overview of the food policy developments that have contributed to or hindered progress in food and nutrition security. It reviews what happened in food policy and why, examines key challenges and opportunities, shares new evidence and knowledge, and highlights emerging issues.

The second edition of the UK Land Forum held at the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors on the 13th April 2016. It was attended by 31 people drawn from the civil society, public and private sectors. The theme of the meeting was 'Land and Corruption', chosen because of the magnitude of corruption in land and limitations in the evidence base and clear policy directions in the field. It was also a window of opportunity to highlight recent research in a forthcoming high-level UK summit on corruption.

Twenty years after the Paris Peace Agreements, the Special Rapporteur takes stock of progress in Cambodia's human rights situation, with particular emphasis on land issues and land concessions. The report is based on missions to Cambodia in December 2011 and May 2012. The first enabled a human rights assessment of State institutions relevant to the electoral process in Cambodia, including the laws, policies and practices applicable to elections.

In 2014-2015, the Asian Farmers Association for Sustainable Rural Development (AFA) implemented a project entitled “Popularizing the VGGT Among Small Scale Farmers Organizations, Relevant National Government and Inter-governmental Organizations” with the support of the International Land Coalition (ILC).

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has been trying hard to go into free trade agreements (FTAs) with different countries. It believes that this will increase trade and help members sell their export products to more markets in other countries. It also wants to make ASEAN the world's center of agricultural production. But in opening up markets and increasing trade, more imported goods from other countries can also come in.

The Voluntary Guidelines for the Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land, Fisheries and Forests in the Context of National Food Security (or VGGT) is the first global document that addresses policy, legal and organizational frameworks that regulate tenure rights. Adopted by the Committee on World Food Security1 (CFS) last May 2012, the VGGT provide guidance on responsible governance of tenure on land, fisheries and forests as a means to alleviate hunger and poverty, enhance the environment, support national and local development and reform public administration.

This publication is a collection of 2014 CSO land reform monitoring reports on the status of land tenure and access to land from seven Asian countries (Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Nepal, Pakistan, and the Philippines). The book also reflects the recent expansion of the monitoring initiative to a ridge-to-reef framework providing a more holistic approach in addressing ancestral lands, rural lands, and marine resource concerns.

The publication focuses on participatory processes and their management, and presents a broad range of concrete experience with different tools. It is assumed that the reader is already familiar with the use of tools like PRA/PLA/PME and is now interested in second generation issues related to project design, training and measurement of impact associated with the use of participatory processes. Each article reflects a specific experience. As such, it has its own validity.

This issue brief is an abridged version of the VGGT discussion paper, "Review of Selected Land Laws and the Governance of Tenure in the Philippines: Discussion Paper in the context of the Voluntary Guidelines on the Governance of Tenure (VGGT)" which  analyzes Philippine policies on land and resource tenure (as embodied in the 1987 Constitution and ten major laws on tenure)  

This document provides guidances on how businesses can respect legitimate tenure rights and human rights in their land-based investments. It

• translates principles of responsible land governance and tenure (see the VGGT) into practical mechanisms, processes and actions,

• gives examples of good practice – what has worked, where, why and how, and

• provides useful tools for activities such as the design of policy and reform processes, for the design of investment projects and for guiding interventions.