Uneven ground: Land inequality at the heart of unequal societies

Authors: Ward Anseeuw and Giulia Maria Baldinelli

Published: 2020

Source: International Land Coalition

In most countries, land inequality is growing. Worse, new measures and analysis published in this synthesis report show that land inequality is significantly higher than previously reported. The “uneven ground” alluded to in the title of this synthesis report is where the majority of rural people are increasingly finding themselves. This report sheds new light on the scale and speed of this growing land inequality. It provides the most comprehensive picture available today, informed by 17 specially commissioned research papers as well as analysis of existing data and literature. It lays out in detail the causes and consequences of land inequality, analyses potential solutions, and offers a potential pathway to change. While there are still significant gaps in our knowledge, not least about the extent of corporate and financial interests in the world’s land, it is clear that land inequality is greater and is increasing much more rapidly than we thought. The need to address this is urgent, and it is in all our interests to do so.

Download the full report here.

Download the executive summary here.