Landless farmers turn idle land into fertile land and obtain titles

Location: Telengana, India

Timeline: 2005-present

Principal organisations: SDDPA

In 20 years, 425 poor landless tenant farmers in the villages of Telangana State, India, transformed 1400 acres of infertile and idle wasteland into cultivable land using dryland farming. Realising the potential of the improved land, the absentee landlords tried to reclaim the land by threatening the tenants with eviction. Following a considerable struggle with the landlords, the farmers’ collective, with the support of SDDPA, successfully negotiated the registration of land in the name of 395 families. The security of tenure for the farmers has prevented the loss of livelihoods, enhancing agricultural and environmental sustainability in the area.