Roy L. Prosterman: Pioneering Advocate for Land Rights Passes Away

In a career dedicated to advocating for land rights, Roy L. Prosterman transitioned from corporate law to become a leading figure in land reform efforts across the globe. He died on February 27 at his Seattle residence at the age of 89, as announced by the Seattle-based Landesa, an organization he co-founded. His exact cause of death has not been revealed. With nearly 60 years of experience, Prosterman worked alongside governments in over 60 nations, including regions in Asia, Africa, and Latin America, to establish land ownership rights for peasant families. His approach varied; some governments expropriated land with compensation, while others directly distributed publicly owned land to those in need.Prosterman believed that ensuring land rights was instrumental in alleviating poverty among the world's rural populations. He tirelessly advocated for agrarian reform, engaging both authoritarian regimes, like those in Vietnam and El Salvador, and newly democratic states, including India, to empower impoverished farmers through farmland redistribution.As noted in an obituary by Landesa, millions have benefitted from Prosterman’s initiatives. Landesa, initially launched as the Rural Development Institute at the University of Washington in 1981 and reaching independence by 1992, has been pivotal in highlighting the significance of land access and security. Nobel laureate economist Joseph Stiglitz emphasized this in his preface to “One Billion Rising: Law, Land and the Alleviation of Global Poverty,” a book that Prosterman contributed to significantly.