LSP Working Paper 2	Access to Natural Resources Sub-Programme
	Improving Access to Natural Resources for the Rural Poor - The Experience of FAO and of Other Key Organizations from a Sustainable Livelihoods Perspective Lorenzo Cotula FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION OF THE UNITED NATIONS Livelihood Support Programme (LSP) An inter-departmental programme for improving support for enhancing livelihoods of the rural poor. August 2002 Table of Contents

The Livelihood Support Programme (LSP) evolved from the belief that FAO could have a greater impact on reducing poverty and food insecurity, if its wealth of talent and experience were integrated into a more flexible and demand-responsive team approach.

The LSP works through teams of FAO staff members, who are attracted to specific themes being worked on in a sustainable livelihoods context. These cross-departmental and cross-disciplinary teams act to integrate sustainable livelihoods principles in FAO's work, at headquarters and in the field. These approaches build on experiences within FAO and other development agencies.

The programme is functioning as a testing ground for both team approaches and sustainable livelihoods principles.

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Access to natural resources sub-programme

Access by the poor to natural resources, including land, forests, water, fisheries and wildlife, is essential for sustainable poverty reduction. Landless people in rural areas are particularly vulnerable, because without secure access to land and other natural resources, they can have more difficulty obtaining food, accumulating other assets and recovering after environmental and economic shocks or misfortunes.

The main goal of this sub-programme is to build stakeholder capacity to improve poor people's access to natural resources. It also aims to make sustainable livelihoods approaches more effective in reducing poverty among the poorest of the poor, particularly landless and near landless people.

To date, the sub-programme has analysed the relationship between access to natural resources and sustainable livelihoods, in particular evaluating the contribution of sustainable livelihoods approaches to an understanding of the relevant poverty, vulnerability and livelihood issues.

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