Land Stewardship (LS) is a strategy for the preservation of the natural environment, biodiversity and ecological values, based on the participation of landowners and land users (farmers, stockbreeders, fishermen, etc.) through voluntary agreements with GSE agencies, that is, organizations dealing with land management. The LS approach reinforces the active involvement of local communities in sustainable management of natural resources.
LS is an adaptive approach, which through a variety of tools and methods, can be applied either to limit some uses or to maintain or restore others. The ability to involve a variety of management stakeholders (owners, users, public and private decision makers, businesses, NGOs, etc.) reinforces the participatory nature of the LS and provides an integrated framework for an effective implementation of the approach.
LS can be adaptive, based on traditional management tools to meet changing needs. Recognizing that land management requires not only social will but also relevant social skills, the LS approach includes training for direct resource users and decision makers in the public and private sectors.
