ESA group

• Ideas of ‘wise custodianship’ – Access to land for youths is often dependent on allocation decided by elders in families and communities. This concept relates to concerns raised by this group regarding the increasing trend of youths selling land soon after acquisition to release capital. Wise custodianship sees elders delaying youth’s access to land to prevent the selling of land for short term gain. Thus encouraging retainership of family land and long term land investment in land.

• Agricultural capacity more important than ownership of land – Land ownership is very significant in securing rights to its usage, but the inheritance of land traditionally limits youths control over land until that family member cedes ownership. Thus ensuring access to land through capacity building is necessary.

• Create customary land register – Governments viewed as not recognising customary claims to and exchange of land. A set of arrangements which prevails in much of rural Africa.

WCA group

• Research on youth access to land – Currently there is a lack of significant or reliable data on the level and type of access to land for the youth population. In another point, the group advocate greater attention and research efforts into the collection and systematisation of such information on youth land access to inform policy.

• Off-season cropping – Only being able to cultivate crops once a year for a short period of time disincentivises youths from staying on farms due to reduced and variable employment opportunities and/or food security. The group suggested the introduction of off-season cropping of alternative plant species to combat the problem.

• Gendered approach to land registration ¬– For example using land registration domains dedicated to women to increase control over water management decision-making [My notes are lacking here. May want to check/elaborate using your recording]

Asia group • Better farm opportunities for farm based work for

youths to limit rural-urban migration and create rural employment.

• Digitisation of land registration and records – Could help empower marginalised communities but only if the interests of dominant land classes are tempered.

• Partner land ownership – Currently agricultural and forest land is transferred to men upon marriage. Group asked for both the man and woman to own land at the point of marriage, thus empowering women by preventing loss of land through marital process.

• Increased accessibility of land registration records – Currently the system of land record keeping is restrictive to local land users due to bureaucratic restrictions and overly-technical language.

• Realisation of pro-women legislation - National policies promoting land rights for women’s access to and control over land exist at national level but are not being enforced at the local level.

Latin America group

• Make farming more attractive to youth as a livelihood ¬– Ensure youth property rights through diversifying current land tenure arrangements so as to empower youth.

• Situate women as key actors in economic production processes – Increase the recognition of women as a key stakeholder in agricultural economic processes through differentiated policy reform. This would provide a key tool for women’s empowerment in this sector and in rural agricultural societies.

• What role is Government taking? – Group ventured concerns about the inadequate role Government was taking in promoting land use and rights for future generations. Called for greater research into the states capacities to recognise and tackle such issues.

Outcomes and recommendations from breakout session on ‘Successful strategies of land access for the new generations’