This metric covers one of the requirements under PF indicator 16.5 of the Poverty Footprint Tool.* It is part of the 4th Poverty Dimension, stability and security, which refers to enhancing conditions that improve resilience and lowers risks from violence, political instability, unrest, crime, and natural or human-made disasters. It includes access to vital resources (such as drinkable water and land) that are essential to stability, security, and resilience. More specifically, within this dimension, this particular indicator addresses the category Access and Control Over Natural Resources, including Land, Water and Food Commodities.
This indicator, furthermore, falls under the 1st Corporate area Dimension, value chains, which refers to how a company’s value chain and its procurement, manufacturing, and distribution policies and/or practices influence the ability of people living in poverty to access good-quality employment, earn a living wage or sustain a business, and participate in the market.
Land rights refer to the inalienable ability of individuals to freely obtain, utilise, and possess land at their discretion, as long as their activities on the land do not impede on other individuals’ rights. This is not to be confused with access to land, which allows individuals the use of land in an economic sense (i.e. farming). Instead, land rights address the ownership of land which provides security and increases human capabilities. When a person only has access to land, they are in constant threat of expulsion depending on the choices of the land owner, which limits financial stability. (Source: Wikipedia )
For project partners who have set out to research this indicator, the Poverty Footprint guideline suggests the following methodology:
survey local authorities, local NGO/CSOs
consider using secondary research to identify topics such as:
local resource endowments
resources entitlement (property rights, access, etc.)
food security in country/community of study
consult with local stakeholders to identify which natural resources are critical to livelihoods (land, water and other productive assets) and any concerns due to the company’s presence in the area of study.
However, Wikirate researchers may review one of the following company statements using search terms like "access to land", "land rights", and ''legal titles to land" to determine whether the company in question publicly discloses the percentage of smallholders in the value chain who have secured legal titles to land*:
Poverty Footprint
Corporate Social Responsiblity Report
Annual Report
CSO Statements or Reports
Investigative Reports, Surveys, Articles, etc.
Please provide the following contextual information in a comment to the metric value:
any additional disclosure regarding land rights, e.g. policy statements, number of cases, types of legal titles, etc.
the page number of the document where this information can be found