Strengthening property rights for the poor

Although many of the poor in the developing world are landless,most of the rural poor have some access to land. These “landed poor” remain poor not simply because their holdings are small, but also because their land rights are weak and insecure. The uncertainty they experience undermines their incentives to make long-term investments in their land or use it sustainably. Their land has limited economic value because it cannot legally be transferred.The land users’ weak tenure also limits their political empowerment. To the extent that land users must..