In rural areas, land is the basis for agricultural production and the source for securing natural resources through fishing, hunting, pasturing or other activities. Land is used by many people for different purposes (e.g. for agricultural production, housing, industry, services and government). Land also has social, cultural and political functions related to each country's history. Because land is used for so many purposes, land and property rights have broad impact on people's lives and livelihoods. These rights refer to the rules that specify who can do what with which resources and assets, for how long and under what conditions. Collecting plants in a forest, cultivating a plot of land, getting the produce harvested, accessing and extracting natural resources and deciding who should or should not be allowed to collect plants or cultivate a plot of land are all expressions of the exercise of property rights. Certain groups of people, such as women, indigenous people and urban slum dwellers, frequently and systematically lack access to land and property rights in many countries. Yet, land and property rights are key for a life with dignity; they are the basis for entitlements which can ensure an adequate standard of living and economic independence and thus, personal freedom.1 Land and property rights also have major implications for human rights such as the right to food, health, housing, work and education.