Reframing farmers' rights of access to water through stewardship?

Regulatory reforms of water abstraction licensing underway in England seem to place a greater emphasis on water stewardship as a means to incorporate a wider public interest into farmers' use of water for agricultural production. This article explores different meanings of water stewardship and its potential for guiding reforms. In doing so it also draws on the findings of a pilot research project carried out in 2012, funded by the British Academy.