Land reform can give the poor a decent income

07/03/2006 - 0h08

Aécio Amado
Special Report

Porto Alegre - The FAO secretary general, Jaques Diuf, declared that land reform can do more than give people access to land ownership; it can make it possible for the poor to obtain a decent income, he said.

Speaking at the opening of the 2nd International Conference on Agrarian Reform and Rural Development, Diuf pointed out that the question of land ownership is an important aspect of the problem of food security.

According to Diuf, land access is political, social, economic,cultural, religious and even patriotic. "Because of all this, land reform deserves a hearing at all levels of society, not just in the government. And it is essential that the excluded, those who do not have land, be included in the discussion."

Translation: Allen Bennett