Land Stewardship vs. Land Ownership
The fundamental shift from treating land as property to be bought, sold, and extracted from, to caring for land as a trust to be improved and passed on to future generations.
What is the Difference?
Land ownership treats land as property—a commodity that can be bought, sold, and used for individual profit. Land stewardship treats land as a trust—a resource to be cared for and improved for the benefit of current and future generations.
This distinction is central to OASA's model, where land is held in perpetual commons through commons-based stewardship, ensuring it can never be sold or exploited for private gain.
Land Ownership: The Traditional Model
Traditional land ownership:
- Treats land as property: Land is a commodity to be bought and sold
- Focuses on individual rights: Owners have exclusive rights to use and profit from land
- Short-term thinking: Decisions prioritize immediate returns
- Extraction-oriented: Land is used to extract value and generate profit
- Transferable: Land can be sold, inherited, or transferred to new owners
- Private benefit: Value accrues to individual owners
Land Stewardship: The Regenerative Model
Land stewardship:
- Treats land as trust: Land is held in trust for current and future generations
- Focuses on collective responsibility: Stewards care for land on behalf of the community
- Long-term thinking: Decisions consider impacts on future generations
- Regeneration-oriented: Land is actively improved through regenerative practices
- Permanent: Land is held in perpetual trust, never sold
- Collective benefit: Value accrues to the community and ecosystem
Key Differences
| Aspect | Land Ownership | Land Stewardship |
|---|---|---|
| Concept | Property/Commodity | Trust/Commons |
| Timeframe | Short-term | Long-term (1000-year horizon) |
| Purpose | Extract value | Restore and improve |
| Transferability | Can be sold | Held in perpetual trust |
| Benefit | Individual profit | Collective and ecological |
| Governance | Owner decides | Community governance |
From Ownership to Stewardship
Moving from ownership to stewardship requires:
- Legal Restructuring: Land is placed in perpetual land trust, removing it from the market
- Mindset Shift: From "my land" to "our land in trust"
- Governance Change: From individual control to collective decision-making
- Practice Change: From extraction to regeneration
- Timeframe Change: From short-term to intergenerational thinking
Stewardship in Regenerative Commons
In regenerative commons, stewardship means:
- Collective Care: Commons-based land stewardship where communities care for land together
- Active Regeneration: Following regenerative principles that actively improve ecosystems
- Permanent Protection: Land held in perpetual trust, ensuring it benefits future generations
- Intergenerational Responsibility: Decisions consider impacts on future generations
Benefits of Stewardship Over Ownership
Land stewardship provides:
- Ecological Restoration: Land actively improves over time through regenerative practices
- Permanent Protection: Land can never be sold or exploited
- Community Resilience: Collective management creates stronger communities
- Intergenerational Equity: Future generations inherit healthier ecosystems
- Alignment: Practices align with ecological principles rather than profit motives
OASA's Model: Perpetual Stewardship
OASA projects demonstrate land stewardship through:
- Perpetual Commons: Land held in perpetual trust through perpetual land trust structures
- Collective Governance: DAO governance where communities make decisions together
- Regenerative Practices: Following regenerative principles that improve ecosystems
- Long-Term Thinking: 1000-year investment horizons that consider future generations
Learn More
Read From Commons to Commodities and Back for the full philosophy of land stewardship.
See also: Commons-Based Land Stewardship, Perpetual Commons, Land as Commons Not Commodities
Related Terms
- Commons-Based Land Stewardship - Collective land care
- Perpetual Commons - Land held in trust forever
- Land as Commons Not Commodities - Core philosophy
- Perpetual Land Trust Model - Legal structure for stewardship