In brief
Roy L. Prosterman, a prominent advocate for land reform who significantly influenced the rights of the rural poor globally, died at his Seattle home on February 27 at the age of 89. The founder of the non-profit Landesa, Prosterman dedicated nearly six decades to promoting land ownership and security for peasant families across Asia, Africa, and Latin America. His work often involved collaborating with various governments to implement land distribution strategies, aiming to alleviate poverty through equitable access to land.
Prosterman left a successful corporate law career to focus on land reform, believing it to be a pivotal factor in uplifting impoverished communities. He engaged with both authoritarian regimes, such as those in Vietnam and El Salvador, and democratic nations like India, advocating for the redistribution of farmland to benefit vulnerable agricultural families. His efforts have been cited as life-changing for millions, according to Landesa, which originated in 1981 and has become a key player in land rights advocacy.The significance of land rights in combating global poverty was underscored by Nobel laureate Joseph Stiglitz, who recognized Prosterman's foresight and influence in his preface for the edited book "One Billion Rising: Law, Land and the Alleviation of Global Poverty." Throughout his career, Prosterman’s commitment to land access has established a lasting legacy, signaling the importance of land rights in enhancing the lives of the rural poor in agrarian economies around the world.
