Land and Sustainable Livelihood in Latin America

This is the second volume of a series on current processes of land tenure change in Latin America. It aims at clarifying the relationship between land and sustainable livelihood in various countries: Mexico, Nicaragua, Chile, Bolivia and Peru. The first volume Current Land Policy in Latin America described the shift away from the redistributive policies. This volume analyzes in detail the implications of changing land tenure regimes for land use (agricultural production, environmental sustainability) and the income generating capacity of farmers (is greater access to land still a way out of poverty?). Also the consequences for the non-material aspects of life (e.g., prestige, identity, social relations, etc.) are included. By focusing on the goals and priorities of rural households, rather than on policy goals, an attempt is made to provide an insider’s view of rural life. This volume will inspire policy makers to formulate a new land policy, one that does greater justice to the diversity and dynamics of rural life, and make them more aware of the multifunctionality of land and livelihood.