Land Reform beyond the Reformed Land: A Baseline Study of Unplanned Site Allocations in Brazil

Abstract

This paper brings to light some of the problems deriving from not systematically using regional planning as a strategic governance tool in land reform policy. With concrete examples from land reform sites in Northeast Brazil, we argue that factors leading to suboptimal results include the lack of a suited space for planned conjunct actions as a means to propel broader regional development. Empirically, the paper identifies causes of the meagre regional implications of the Land Bill Programme, a government initiative aimed to fight rural poverty associated with landlessness. As a policy implication, we argue that regional planning can be an efficient tool for the placement of land through land reform, which would require not only providing land loans, but also designing concerted actions that would benefit an entire region.