Achieving Responsible Land-Based Investments for Practitioners

Businesses across the world and throughout different industries increasingly recognize that their long term financial, operational, and reputational success is connected to the sustainability and wellbeing of the communities and environments where they operate. These business commitments to achieve more responsible projects and investments require a wide range of skillsets and expertise – from land and environment to community engagement and agriculture. As a result, businesses commonly rely on external support from consultants and partners to assist with implementation.

Indeed, this support can come from a wide range of partners to include international, national, and local nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and civil society organizations (CSOs), research institutions, academics, consultants, and private consultancies. The Achieving Responsible Land-Based Investments for Practitioners online course is designed with these groups in mind, with a particular emphasis on NGOs and CSOs, to develop skillsets to advise companies on improved practices to support respect for and advancement of land and resource tenure rights in their operations and supply chains.

This course was developed by Landesa and Pelum Uganda as part of an FCDO-funded project called the Social License Platform (funded from 2018 to 2022), and in collaboration with David Bledsoe, Senior Gender and Land Tenure Lawyer at Resource Equity. The team also partnered with TRG to translate the course content into an engaging e-learning platform. The Social License Platform (SLP) project aimed to support more responsible investments in land and supply chains through facilitating collaborative partnerships between local service providers and businesses. The project had a specific geographic focus on sub-Saharan Africa, which is reflected in the country modules of this course. Podcast episodes throughout the course aim to bring in practitioner perspectives from other geographies, including experiences in Indonesia, Mexico, and India.

Participants will gain a better understanding of:

• International best practices and standards for respecting land rights in land-based investments.
• Different national frameworks for land-based investments and how those frameworks compare to international standards.
• Challenges in achieving responsible land-based investments and opportunities for CSOs and NGOs to support improved practices.

This is a self-paced online course, meaning you can complete the course on your own time; you do not need to be online at specific times or submit assignments by certain dates. We estimate it will take between 9-12 hours to complete all course elements.

Participants who complete all microlearning exercises, submit replies to at least 3 discussion topics, view the presentations and listen to the podcasts, and submit the final assignment will receive a certificate of completion for this course.

The following table outlines the planned thematic topics and activities this course will cover in each module:

If you have any questions, please contact the Course Instructor: Megan Olson, Land Tenure Specialist, Landesa at megano@landesa.org.

Landesa is a global nonprofit organization working to develop sustainable and gender-sensitive laws, policies and programs that strengthen land rights for millions of the world’s poorest men and women. Landesa helps implement these laws, policies and best practices across countries, companies and communities, translating intentions into pragmatic actions.

Since 1995, PELUM Uganda has been working to improve the livelihoods of small-scale farmers and the sustainability of rural communities, through the fostering of ecological land use management. We share skills and knowledge about good practices and techniques, through a broad network of likeminded organizations; undertake research and demonstration projects; and advocate for policies that better support smallscale farmers. PELUM Uganda is part of a 12-country strong association of civil society organizations in Eastern, Central and Southern Africa.

Founded in 2014, Resource Equity is a women-run and women-centered nonprofit organization that focuses on legal issues specific to gender equity in land and natural resource rights. We provide expert advocacy and guidance through collaborative work with international NGOs, national governments, multi- and bi-lateral donors, and in-country specialists. We train practitioners around the world in our innovative Women’s Land Rights Institute, which is helping to build a deep network of local experts who are focused on advancing women's land and natural resource rights.