Enhancing Land Ownership Rights for Farmers in Rural Areas
The United Nations Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land, Fisheries and Forests (VGGT) are providing a global framework to promote secure tenure rights and equitable access to land, fisheries, and forests. These guidelines, passed by the United Nations Committee on World Food Security in May 2012, are making a significant impact on smallholders and indigenous communities in Bolivia and Peru.
In these countries, the VGGT are crucial in promoting recognition and protection of collective and customary land rights. Many indigenous peoples possess land through traditional, non-formal tenure systems that are often undervalued or insecure under national laws. The guidelines encourage governments to acknowledge such customary rights and facilitate community participation in decisions affecting their lands and resources, thus strengthening their tenure security and mitigating conflicts.
The VGGT support legal reforms and policy frameworks that align national tenure laws with international standards, reinforcing indigenous land claims. They also promote participatory mapping and registration processes to document customary land tenure, protecting it from dispossession or exploitation. Furthermore, the guidelines emphasise respect for cultural rights and safeguards against forced displacement or harmful commercial projects on indigenous and smallholder lands.
These measures are essential in countries like Peru and Bolivia, where smallholder family enterprises produce 60-70% of the basic food supply. The Peruvian government has allocated 40% of its territory for for-profit private enterprises to exploit natural resources and large-scale agricultural production, leading to competition with small agricultural producers and indigenous communities for land.
The VGGT are helping to empower smallholders and indigenous groups in these countries to maintain their livelihoods, manage natural resources sustainably, and adapt to social and environmental challenges. Pedro Castillo, a government representative in Peru, believes that properly applied, the Guidelines could secure the smallholders' right to food in the long term and prevent conflicts.
Welthungerhilfe and its partners in Peru and Bolivia are providing education and legal aid to support those affected by the exploitation of natural resources and large-scale agriculture. They are also educating all actors, including government representatives and community officials, on the content of the Guidelines.
In addition, Welthungerhilfe, in collaboration with its partners, is developing an interactive data platform for compiling and disseminating legal developments regarding land use and practical experiences. This platform will help to monitor the implementation of the VGGT and ensure that they are being applied effectively to secure the land rights of smallholders and indigenous communities.
The UN Guidelines for land rights support the view that private investments should not harm the human and land rights of the local population. For instance, the canal expansion in Choclococha, High Andes, has led to flooding during the rainy season, making the old village uninhabitable and the pastures unusable. Hilda Machuca, a resident of Choclococha, has seen her alpaca herd shrink due to the expansion of the canal system for export-oriented agriculture.
Jorge Prado, Secretary General of the Confederatión Campesina Peru (CCP), emphasises the need for good arguments to negotiate for land rights with the government. Implementing the VGGT is voluntary, but with education, support, and advocacy, they are becoming a powerful tool for securing the rights of smallholders and indigenous communities in Bolivia and Peru.
In conclusion, the UN Guidelines provide a comprehensive approach to responsible tenure governance that strengthens recognition, protection, and participation for indigenous and smallholder communities in Bolivia and Peru, thereby fostering social equity and environmental sustainability.
- In politics and policy-and-legislation discussions concerning small-businesses and general-news, the United Nations Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land, Fisheries, and Forests (VGGT) can play a significant role, promoting food security by securing the tenure rights of smallholders and indigenous communities in Bolivia and Peru.
- Financing and support for projects like education and legal aid services provided by organizations such as Welthungerhilfe can effectively empower smallholder families and indigenous groups in these countries to protect their land rights in the face of competition with large-scale businesses and threats from harmful commercial projects.
- Recognition and protection of collective and customary land rights through the implementation of the VGGT not only fosters social equity but also promotes environmental sustainability, as small-businesses like family enterprises in Bolivia and Peru, who produce a significant portion of the general-news' food supply, can manage their natural resources more sustainably when they have secure tenure.
