What is a stewardship economy?
A stewardship economy is one that places ‘stewardship’ – land use practices and processes that foster the sustainable use and management of natural resources – at the heart of markets, governments, and nonprofit decision making and practices. Stewardship economies call for a paradigm change in development and are built on the stewardship of land and nature by Indigenous Peoples and local communities. This creates the potential for new, radically improved collective outcomes that can address the diverse crises humanity faces: climate change, rapid species extinction, increasing inequality, injustice and insecure livelihoods, and vulnerability to extreme weather events.
A core element is to support Indigenous Peoples and local communities (IPLCs) in consolidating control over the land and resources on which their stewardship economies are based, thus safeguarding essential landscapes and preserving cultures and traditions. We seek to create an understanding of stewardship economy principles among state and private actors to encourage the adoption of good stewardship practices across the larger economy.
Stewardship economies are underpinned by economic principles and public and private financial arrangements that ensure that land users receive fair compensation for their investments in environmental services while meeting consumer expectations that the commodities they purchase have been sustainably produced.
Engagement and Growth Coordinator, GLF
n.haasecgiar[dot]org
