Strengthening poor people's land rights and easing barriers to land transactions can set in motion a wide range of social and economic benefits including improved governance, empowerment of women and other marginalised people, increased private investment, and more rapid economic growth and poverty reduction, according to a new World Bank report. By documenting the long-neglected importance of land tenure for good governance and private sector development, the latest World Bank report highlights the far-reaching implications of land policy for economic development.