Customary land tenure systems and food security in PNG

摘要

In PNG, over 80 percent of the population lives in the rural-agrarian sector and, since time immemorial, most of these people have depended directly upon customary land for their livelihood. The customary land-tenure system has checks and balances to absorb pressure in times of change and population increase. However, with increasing land alienation, problems may creep in to destroy the balance and security. A suggested policy in such situations is for customary landowners to make better use of their customary landholdings within an integrated rural development initiative.