Our Foundation
A Decade of Securing Land and Strengthening Futures
OUR VISION is a world where everyone enjoys secure land and resource rights that unlock opportunities for current and future generations.
OUR MISSON is to unlock the social, economic, and environmental benefits of equitable land tenure by providing mapping technology, training, and services to organizations representing and supporting tenure-insecure communities.
Our Foundation
Leadership Reflections
Letter from the CEO
Amy Coughenour Betancourt
CEO, Cadasta
Dear Cadasta Friends and Supporters,
From the beginning, Cadasta’s mission was never simply about technology or data. It has always been about something more fundamental: the right to belong, to be recognized, and to shape one’s own future. Land and resource rights are central to that promise. They influence whether families can plan beyond the next season, whether communities can steward the places they call home, and whether future generations inherit stability or uncertainty.
In 2025, Cadasta marked its tenth year, allowing us a milestone moment to take stock of what we’ve built and why it matters.
Over the past decade, our understanding of how those rights are secured has deepened. We have learned that documentation alone is not enough. Rights endure only when community knowledge is respected, data is governed locally, and institutions can recognize and act on local evidence. That learning has shaped Cadasta’s evolution from an early technology initiative into a trusted partner focused on strengthening the systems that make land rights real and usable over time.
This year also reaffirmed a truth that will define Cadasta’s next decade. Land rights are inseparable from the challenges the world now faces.
~ Amy Coughenour Betancourt
In 2025, that purpose came into sharper focus. Even amid shifting political priorities, funding pressures, and climate disruption, the work at the local level never stopped. Communities continued to map their lands, strengthen governance, and assert their rights. Indigenous leaders protected forests through their own stewardship systems. Women and youth stepped into leadership roles. Farmers gained clarity and security over the land that sustains their livelihoods. These moments remind us that our role is not simply to deliver tools or training, but to help create conditions in which communities can move forward on their own terms.
This year also reaffirmed a truth that will define Cadasta’s next decade. Land rights are inseparable from the challenges the world now faces. Climate resilience, cultural preservation, economic stability, and equality all depend on who holds land rights and whether those rights are respected. The future of our mission lies not in perfecting the mechanics of documentation, but in deepening what secure land rights make possible.
As you read this report, you will see the results of ten years of partnership, learning, and persistence across regions and contexts. You will also see an organization entering its second decade with clarity and resolve, focused on strengthening enduring land governance systems.
I am deeply grateful to our partners, donors, staff, and Board for their trust and commitment over the past ten years. Your belief in this mission makes this work possible.Thank you for standing with Cadasta through a decade of progress and into the work ahead.
With gratitude,
Amy Coughenour Betancourt
CEO, Cadasta
Letter from the Board Chair
Albert Hilaire Anoubon Momo
Chair, Board of DIrectors, Cadasta
Dear Cadasta Community,
As Cadasta marks its tenth year, this anniversary offers an opportunity to reflect on the organization’s evolution and its role in a rapidly changing global landscape.
Over the past decade, Cadasta has grown from an early-stage technology initiative into a trusted partner advancing land and resource rights across diverse political, institutional, and geographic contexts. That growth reflects a consistent commitment to pairing innovation with rigor by investing not only in tools but also in systems, governance, and partnerships that enable community-generated data to drive lasting outcomes.
This year, I was pleased to welcome five new members to Cadasta’s Board of Directors: María Pía Hernández Palacios, Ana Teresa Fuzzo de Lima, Cristina Coc, Megan Wenrich, and Munehiko Joya, who also joins the Board as Treasurer. Together, they bring deep expertise spanning Indigenous leadership, land and environmental governance, climate finance, accountability frameworks, and institutional stewardship.
Land and resource rights are increasingly recognized as foundational to climate resilience, economic opportunity, and social stability, even as the global environment for development and climate action continues to shift.
~ Albert Hilaire Anoubon Momo
At the same time, we extend our sincere thanks to Tosca Bruno-van Vijfeijken and George Ombado, whose service on Cadasta’s Board strengthened the organization’s governance during a critical period of organizational growth.
As a Board, our responsibility is to support Cadasta’s leadership in navigating uncertainty while remaining anchored in mission and evidence. Land and resource rights are increasingly recognized as foundational to climate resilience, economic opportunity, and social stability, even as the global environment for development and climate action continues to shift.
Ten years in, Cadasta is well-positioned for the work ahead. The Board remains committed to supporting an organization that continues to evolve with integrity and focus.
Sincerely,
Albert Hilaire Anoubon Momo
Chair, Board of Directors, Cadasta