- Willem Ferwerda (1959) studied biology, tropical plant ecology and agriculture, environmental science in the Netherlands (University of Amsterdam) and Colombia (Universidad Nacional, Bogotá). He is executive director – initiator of Comm... moreWillem Ferwerda (1959) studied biology, tropical plant ecology and agriculture, environmental science in the Netherlands (University of Amsterdam) and Colombia (Universidad Nacional, Bogotá).
He is executive director – initiator of Commonland, an international organisation founded in 2013 by experts, investors and entrepreneurs with the goal to scale up landscape restoration jointly with local stakeholders by developing existing landscape projects on the basis of healthy underlying business cases. In 2014 a documentary on Commonlands work was shown in the documentary Green Gold 2.
Ferwerda is executive fellow Business and Ecosystems at Rotterdam School of Management – Erasmus University and serves as Special Advisor in Business and Ecosystems to the IUCN Commission on Ecosystem Management, the scientific commission of ecosystem managers of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). In 2012 het developed a four returns landscape restoration approach.
Between 2000-2012 Ferwerda served as executive director of IUCN Netherlands. He expanded the membership and built the most influential national IUCN office, while creating the Ecosystem Grants Programme, a fund that financed 1,500 local conservation projects in 40 tropical countries. In 2005 he founded Leaders for Nature, an international business network on biodiversity and ecosystems, now active also in India and Brazil. In 2006 Ferwerda convened, 80 business leaders from multinationals like Shell, Rabobank, DSM, Unilever, KLM and many others, to sign an open letter to the Dutch government, which led to the Dutch governmental Taskforce on Biodiversity and Natural Resources. In 2010 he realized an agreement concerning ecosystems and biodiversity between the Dutch Confederation of Industries and nature organizations. It resulted in the platform on Biodiversity, Ecosystems and Economy.
Before joining IUCN he hold management positions in an international tourism company organizing expeditions to remote areas. He has worked in Latin America, Africa and Europe and is an expert in multi-stakeholder processes. He built a reputation of an innovative entrepreneurial strategic ecology expert, good in building bridges and aligning policies between experts, business and governments to achieve a common goal. Ferwerda is board member and advisor of several institutions, such as the Prince Bernhard Culture Fund, IUCN, the Global Partnership on Forest and Landscape Degradation, the Charles Darwin Foundation (Galapagos, Ecuador), the World Land Trust (UK) and Princess Irene’s Nature College Foundation.edit
More than 2 billion hectares of ecosystems are severely degraded. e need to restore these degraded ecosystems, the tragedy of the commons, is of global importance in this century. Governments and NGOs do not have su cient resources nor... more
More than 2 billion hectares of ecosystems are severely degraded. e need
to restore these degraded ecosystems, the tragedy of the commons, is of global importance in this century. Governments and NGOs do not have su cient resources nor the skills to scale this up. To involve business and investors a com- mon understanding needs to be created, that includes four returns instead of only one: the return on investment (ROI). A four returns business model is developed on an ecosystem level, that combines ROI, with natural and social capital with an innovative people approach: the return of inspirational capital: the way of the heart. Active involvement in ecosystem restoration results in a process of under- standing the inner purpose of all stakeholders. When well managed and guided the restoration and rehabilitation of three landscaping zones (natural, mixed and economic) give four returns during a period of at least 20 years.
to restore these degraded ecosystems, the tragedy of the commons, is of global importance in this century. Governments and NGOs do not have su cient resources nor the skills to scale this up. To involve business and investors a com- mon understanding needs to be created, that includes four returns instead of only one: the return on investment (ROI). A four returns business model is developed on an ecosystem level, that combines ROI, with natural and social capital with an innovative people approach: the return of inspirational capital: the way of the heart. Active involvement in ecosystem restoration results in a process of under- standing the inner purpose of all stakeholders. When well managed and guided the restoration and rehabilitation of three landscaping zones (natural, mixed and economic) give four returns during a period of at least 20 years.
Research Interests:
Los expertos entienden bien que el actual enfoque de maximización del retorno de la inversión por hectárea conlleva la degradación de ecosistemas, provoca pérdida de biodiversidad y de la capa vegetal, escasez de agua y, en última... more
Los expertos entienden bien que el actual enfoque de maximización del retorno de la inversión por hectárea conlleva la degradación de ecosistemas, provoca pérdida de biodiversidad y de la capa vegetal, escasez de agua y, en última instancia, pérdida de seguridad y productividad. La restauración y conservación de los ecosistemas, y la prevención de su declive se consideran unas de las tareas más importantes de nuestra época.
Crece la concienciación de que la conexión entre ecosistemas sanos, alimentos, seguridad, agua, clima y economía requiere un enfoque empresarial con un planteamiento a largo plazo, en sincronización con el sentido de finalidad interna de todos los elementos implicados.
¿Cómo restaurar estos millones de hectáreas degradadas? La respuesta son las asociaciones de restauración de ecosistemas de múltiples partes interesadas con propietarios y usuarios locales de la tierra, inversores, empresas y gobiernos, que se encargan de conciliar el factor financiero, el conocimiento local, el razonamiento empresarial y la ciencia. Las asociaciones a largo plazo son un requisito para ejecutar satisfactoriamente el trabajo que debe llevarse a cabo. Un innovador grupo de pioneros en el mundo de las inversiones, empresas, agricultores, silvicultores, empresarios locales y ecologistas ya están dando los primeros pasos para crear una «industria de restauración». Para permitir la evolución de este proceso, se necesita un lenguaje y un marco común que entiendan todas las partes interesadas.
La metodología de 4 retornos, 3 zonas y 20 años, como propone este libro, ofrece un marco holístico para garantizar el compromiso productivo del sector público y privado en los esfuerzos de restauración ecológica. Crea un entendimiento general entre todas las partes interesadas y tiende puentes en los ecosistemas. El modelo de los 4 returns (retornos) puede servir como pauta para todos los que trabajan creando la industria de restauración.
Crece la concienciación de que la conexión entre ecosistemas sanos, alimentos, seguridad, agua, clima y economía requiere un enfoque empresarial con un planteamiento a largo plazo, en sincronización con el sentido de finalidad interna de todos los elementos implicados.
¿Cómo restaurar estos millones de hectáreas degradadas? La respuesta son las asociaciones de restauración de ecosistemas de múltiples partes interesadas con propietarios y usuarios locales de la tierra, inversores, empresas y gobiernos, que se encargan de conciliar el factor financiero, el conocimiento local, el razonamiento empresarial y la ciencia. Las asociaciones a largo plazo son un requisito para ejecutar satisfactoriamente el trabajo que debe llevarse a cabo. Un innovador grupo de pioneros en el mundo de las inversiones, empresas, agricultores, silvicultores, empresarios locales y ecologistas ya están dando los primeros pasos para crear una «industria de restauración». Para permitir la evolución de este proceso, se necesita un lenguaje y un marco común que entiendan todas las partes interesadas.
La metodología de 4 retornos, 3 zonas y 20 años, como propone este libro, ofrece un marco holístico para garantizar el compromiso productivo del sector público y privado en los esfuerzos de restauración ecológica. Crea un entendimiento general entre todas las partes interesadas y tiende puentes en los ecosistemas. El modelo de los 4 returns (retornos) puede servir como pauta para todos los que trabajan creando la industria de restauración.
Research Interests:
The 4 returns, 3 zones, 20 years methodology, as proposed in this paper, provides a holistic framework to ensure the productive involvement of both the private and public sector in ecological restoration efforts. It creates a general... more
The 4 returns, 3 zones, 20 years methodology, as proposed
in this paper, provides a holistic framework to ensure the
productive involvement of both the private and public
sector in ecological restoration efforts. It creates a general
understanding between all stakeholders and builds bridges
on ecosystem level. The 4 returns model can serve as a
guideline for all working towards creating the restoration
industry.
in this paper, provides a holistic framework to ensure the
productive involvement of both the private and public
sector in ecological restoration efforts. It creates a general
understanding between all stakeholders and builds bridges
on ecosystem level. The 4 returns model can serve as a
guideline for all working towards creating the restoration
industry.
Research Interests:
We rely on healthy ecosystems to provide us with our food, water, clean air, climate stability, social and economic wealth; even our happiness and well-being. We only have to look at history to see the devastating consequences of not... more
We rely on healthy ecosystems to provide us with our food, water, clean air, climate stability, social and economic wealth; even our happiness and well-being. We only have to look at history to see the devastating consequences of not valuing or understanding ecosystems: whole civilizations have vanished after overexploiting their natural resources.
Fortunately however, there are also civilizations who have learned to develop a symbiotic relationship with nature – and thrived – by restoring instead of destroying. Rapid global population growth in the last two centuries has caused the depletion of one quarter of the land surface on Earth as its natural resources have been used to support the unprecedent- ed demand for sustaining human life and advances in technology. However, the scale and speed at which change has been inflicted on the environment since the 1950s is the most profound in the history of humankind; a phenomenon leading scientists call the Great Acceleration.
Many of the services nature provides humankind – so-called ecosystem services – are free of charge and therefore form no part of our current economy that is based on manufactured capital. This comes at the price of: the massive loss of biodiversity, soil erosion and degraded landscapes. As shown historically, human life depends on ecosystems services. As business and ecosystems are inextricably linked, landscape conservation and restoration should be key to our economy. Yet interventions to date focus only on impact reduction. It’s time for a new approach.
Slowly but surely the world’s leaders are beginning to realize that restoring ecosystem functions restores the economy. In fact, restoration is vital to reversing the depletion of natural capital: an approach that has thus far been underutilized and underfunded. How- ever, we urgently need the power of the private sector in order to scale-up and accelerate landscape restoration. We need new business models and operations, and a shift to long- term thinking if this industry is to become a viable investment proposition.
The science is in place, the technology available, and financial resources accessible: the time is ripe to create a landscape restoration industry. But for it to succeed, there must be greater involvement by business and investors, an orchestrator for all the different stakeholders – and a realistic long-term approach. The 4 returns approach is a framework to build trust and connections, create engagement, and keep key partners in the landscape inspired to harvest the results of their investments over the longterm. Commonland is using this approach to restore landscapes with business.
Fortunately however, there are also civilizations who have learned to develop a symbiotic relationship with nature – and thrived – by restoring instead of destroying. Rapid global population growth in the last two centuries has caused the depletion of one quarter of the land surface on Earth as its natural resources have been used to support the unprecedent- ed demand for sustaining human life and advances in technology. However, the scale and speed at which change has been inflicted on the environment since the 1950s is the most profound in the history of humankind; a phenomenon leading scientists call the Great Acceleration.
Many of the services nature provides humankind – so-called ecosystem services – are free of charge and therefore form no part of our current economy that is based on manufactured capital. This comes at the price of: the massive loss of biodiversity, soil erosion and degraded landscapes. As shown historically, human life depends on ecosystems services. As business and ecosystems are inextricably linked, landscape conservation and restoration should be key to our economy. Yet interventions to date focus only on impact reduction. It’s time for a new approach.
Slowly but surely the world’s leaders are beginning to realize that restoring ecosystem functions restores the economy. In fact, restoration is vital to reversing the depletion of natural capital: an approach that has thus far been underutilized and underfunded. How- ever, we urgently need the power of the private sector in order to scale-up and accelerate landscape restoration. We need new business models and operations, and a shift to long- term thinking if this industry is to become a viable investment proposition.
The science is in place, the technology available, and financial resources accessible: the time is ripe to create a landscape restoration industry. But for it to succeed, there must be greater involvement by business and investors, an orchestrator for all the different stakeholders – and a realistic long-term approach. The 4 returns approach is a framework to build trust and connections, create engagement, and keep key partners in the landscape inspired to harvest the results of their investments over the longterm. Commonland is using this approach to restore landscapes with business.
The COMMONLAND FOUNDATION has emerged from the thinking and organization skills of Willem Ferwerda. This paper and the 4 returns are his idea. The Foundation was initially called the Ecosystem Return Foundation. The purpose of the... more
The COMMONLAND FOUNDATION has emerged from the thinking and organization skills of Willem Ferwerda. This paper and the 4 returns are his idea. The Foundation was initially called the Ecosystem Return Foundation. The purpose of the COMMONLAND FOUNDATION is to systematically create and stimulate a transition to an economy based on Ecological Restoration on a Planetary Scale.