Introduction

Monitoring agrarian reform programs improves land governance vital in addressing rural poverty and food security issues. It provides the necessary feedback in assessing program implementation while ensuring accountability of program implementers.

With the recent rise in commercial interest in land and the growth in foreign agricultural investments, land monitoring takes on greater importance. Monitoring may not only be limited now to assessing performance of land administration but also to keeping an eye on possible reversal of agrarian policies.

Among civil society organizations (CSOs), land monitoring is a way of taking stock of improvements of the quality of life in rural communities. For agrarian reform beneficiaries, this means greater security in land tenure and broader access to land.

When done in a participatory way, land monitoring can be an effective tool in educating and empowering different stakeholders. It can also be used in holding dialogues with various stakeholders towards facilitating partnership and complementation.