Adrian Martin give a talk on the intensified use of land can transform the lives of those living on it, very often reducing poverty but also driving displacement and the destruction of local practices. Drawing on new evidence that different types land use intensification have a widely varying impact on local marginalised groups, the session will demonstrate the paramount importance of local awareness to analyses of land use. The session will identify a range of different outcome pathways, and explain the disproportionate impact on the poor in most cases alongside the likelihood of continued land degradation.