I. Acting as an owner and manager of public land

How can local authorities make better use of public land? Watch the video for a quick overview, and read below for more information!

Key messages:

• Public land is an asset to realise public goods and goals

• Public land was acquired through citizens, it must be managed with responsibility and accountability

For decades, publicly owned farmland has been used for housing and infrastructure development or as a buffer asset to sell in times of budgetary constraints. Today less agricultural land remains in the hands of public actors. This limited resource should support key public services including providing food, protecting biodiversity, storing carbon, recycling water, and more. Public farmland is an inheritance that belongs to citizens and should be integrated into a strategy to deliver benefits for them. In particular, public farmland can be used to:

• encourage regenerative agricultural practices

• train or provide land access to a new generation of farmers

• develop local food supply and land-based businesses that create local employment

• maintain cultural heritages and landscapes

• promote communities’ health, education, and access to green spaces

Does your council, county, commune own farmland? Do you wonder how public actors can acquire and/or manage farmland to realise local benefits? Check the infographic for a quick overview of how to act, and read the sections below for more information on strategising, investing, managing, or sharing about public land.

Infographic: Acting as an owner and manager of public land