Landlessness
Landlessness is the quality or state of being without land, without access to land, or without having
Indigenous landlessness
Landlessness has since been identified as "one of the main causes of poverty amongst
Landlessness in rural economies
Characteristics of landlessness in rural economies
Landlessness can be defined as the lack of access to or absence of adequate land to provide basic needs and fulfillment of human rights.[12][13][14] A rural household is generally categorized as landless if it does not have land outside of residential or rented land.[12] Landlessness is usually also a manifestation of other societal problems such as poverty, insecurity, powerlessness, and inequality.[15][16]
In agrarian economies, land is the primary source of income and employment for rural populations.[17][15] As such, ownership of and access to land is a major determinant of "economic solvency, social power structure, and hierarchy[15]" and it is considered to be the most important contributor to poverty for rural households.[17] The rural landless are separated from means of production[12] and become dependent on non-agricultural sources of labor[17] which are often inconsistent and offer insufficiently low wages.[12][18] As a result, they continue to be unable to access adequate land due to the lack of social and fiscal power and are confined to the poorest segments of society.[12]
Causes of landlessness in rural economies
There are two main assumptions associated with the rapid rise of landlessness in rural economies over the past few decades.[15][12] The first assumption stipulates that certain socio-economic circumstances such as low agricultural productivity, inequality, and colonialism would exacerbate peasant class differentiation. Therefore, poverty and landlessness increase in tandem.[12][14] Low agricultural productivity is a concern especially in areas with land scarcity such as in certain parts of Asia, where the lower the productivity of land, the more land is required to provide an adequate level of living.[14] Inequitable social structures often characterize rural landscapes in underdeveloped countries. Corporate and commercial actors control large tracts of productive land, increasing the severity of landlessness and near-landlessness. This polarization continues to increase, exacerbating inequality and conflict.[19] Colonialism has direct consequences on landlessness, where it undermines existing social and organizational structures and generally enables exploitative land management practices.[14][20][16] The second assumption stipulates that rising landlessness signifies a divergence from farming and the emergence of non-agricultural economic opportunities. In this scenario, farming households can choose to sell their land to explore new opportunities, in which case rising landlessness can be associated with falling poverty.[14][12]
Grassroots activism
Various grassroots movements have emerged in response to escalating corruption, discrimination, and exploitative labor conditions. Notable movements and organizations include the Landless People's Movement in South Africa, the Landless Workers' Movement in Brazil, the 2020–2021 Indian farmers' protest, and the Asian Peasant Coalition. [21][22][23]
Day of the Landless
The Day of the Landless on March 29 is inaugurated by the Asian Peasant Coalition to raise awareness and advocate for land rights for rural workers across Asia.[24]
References
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- ^ Monograph Series. University of California: Deccan College Post-graduate and Research Institute. 1968. p. 190.
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- ^ ISBN 9780850928082.
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- ^ "Resolution Chapter 128". Statutes of California and Digests of Measures 2008. 4. University of California: 5857. 2008.
- ^ S2CID 153937699.
- S2CID 197783739, retrieved 2021-04-16
- ^ ISBN 9251013721.
- ^ ISSN 1549-3652.
- ^ a b Elisabeth, Wickeri (2009). "Land is Life, Land is Power: Landlessness, Exclusion, and Deprivation in Nepal". Fordham International Law Journal. 34.
- ^ JSTOR 41261030.
- ISSN 0306-8293.
- ^ Tait, Saskia (2003). "Property Matters: Synergies and Silences between Land Reform Research and Development Policy". Journal of Public and International Affairs. 14.
- ^ Rammohan, K.T. (2008). "Caste and Landlessness in Kerala: Signals from Chengara". Economic and Political Weekly. 43.
- ISSN 1471-0366.
- )
- ^ "The Asian Peasant Coalition". The Asian Peasant Coalition. Retrieved 2021-04-16.
- ^ Ramakant, Bobby (2021). "Day of the Landless sparks call for reform of global food system". The Nation Thailand. Retrieved 2021-04-16.