Youth Land Rights

Access to land is commonly cited as one of the chief constraints to young people’s ability to be productive participants in the agri-food system. Youth access to land is governed by both law and custom. Legal statutes often do not protect land rights for youth and provide for a system of inheritance that makes it difficult for some youth, especially young women, to obtain land (for example by guaranteeing that the oldest boy will inherit land).  

Restrictive customs and laws are also coupled with undeveloped land rental and sales markets; lack of resources to buy or rent land; inadequate access to information and lack of legal protection of land rights for the youth; and lack of provision for youth in state-sponsored land redistribution programs, all form a complex interwoven barrier to youth access to and.

In Malawi, the National Youth policy define youth as anyone within the age range of 10-35 years of age. About half of the total Malawian population is within this category and exposed to all these barriers thus undermining their productivity in various sectors including agriculture which is the country's mainstay.

If the nation is to achieve its goals of increased agricultural productivity and commercialization, immediate actions have to be employed to secure access to land by the youth.

The coalition has within its membership youth-led organizations that bring in a fresh take on the challenges facing the youth in accessing land. The coalition is also invested in mobilizing, capacitating and supporting youth led initiatives furthering their cause for equitable access to land resources within their communities and the country at large.