Rural land reform is at the center of the peace deal now under negotiation between the Colombian government and FARC rebels. The draft agreement calls for increased access to land for “campesinos,” or rural dwellers; the formalization of land titles; the restitution of land to displaced persons; and special credit mechanisms for low-income farmers.
Analysts expect a final agreement could be signed later this summer. But in at least some regions, the process of land reform has already begun. It is ambitious, expensive, sweeping, and controversial. The process also hopes to break new ground in tackling the issue of land inequality as a root of conflict.
Restitution work by Colombia’s La Unidad de Restitucion de Tierras is the most vivid example of the post-conflict work that awaits if and when a deal is signed. Part of the Ministry of Agriculture, the URT has a mandate to return displaced campesinos to their rightful territory, legalize their titles to the land, and help improve their economic situation once they are resettled. More than 90,000 cases have been filed with the URT so far, but 360,000 households — or about 1.5 million people — may eventually be eligible. The restitution is expected to take up to a decade.
About the author
Elizabeth Dickinson@dickinsonbeth
Elizabeth Dickinson is a former associate editor at Devex. Based in the Middle East, she has previously served as Gulf correspondent for The National, assistant managing editor at Foreign Policy, and Nigeria correspondent at The Economist. Her writing also appeared in The New Yorker, Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Politico Magazine, and Newsweek, among others.