One of the most pervasive problems and causes of poverty in the developing world is the lack of property rights for the poor. For decades, the Rural Development Institute has been highly effective at addressing the issue directly. Tim Hanstad will explain how the lack of land rights affects half of the world’s rural families — some 230 million households — and how that has aggravated poverty, social unrest, and environmental degradation. He will also explain how RDI has worked with farmers and governments around the world to bring land rights to more than 100 million families. Hanstad will lay out an agenda for land reform in countries such as China and India in which RDI maintains active initiatives.