Meet Our Speakers

Willem Ferwerda is a Dutch ecologist and Founder of Commonland, an organisation focused on restoring degraded landscapes through sustainable business models, now active in over 20 countries. He developed the “4 Returns” framework, which aims to generate long-term inspiration, social, natural, and financial returns from ecosystem restoration that can serve as building block for the upcoming holistic landscape restoration industry.

Before founding Commonland in 2013, Ferwerda served as the director of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) in the Netherlands. He has been recognized for his efforts in connecting businesses , farmers, and communities to work together for ecosystem management and restoration, and funded prpojects in 40 countries. His vision emphasizes the importance of creating economically and culturally viable solutions that benefit both nature and people, addressing global challenges like biodiversity loss, climate change, and food security. He also serves on various international boards and advisory committees.