Commonland

Commonland Working with partners in 20+ countries to restore degraded landscapes, and create brighter futures - for people, nature, community, and business.

Commonland is an international non-profit that supports people and organisations to restore landscapes and shape a regenerative future for all. With our holistic approach – underpinned by the 4 Returns Framework – people and organisations all over the world are working with nature and their community to restore landscapes. What we do:

All over the world, local organisations are working to restore

the natural ecosystems we all depend on, and shift society towards a regenerative future. One where nature, communities, and economies thrive in harmony. We work closely with these organisations in 20+ countries to strengthen their work, spark collaboration, and share best practices at landscape level. By connecting them with funders, policy actors, businesses, and fellow changemakers, we amplify their impact at local, regional and global scale. Together with partners across sectors, we also work to shift financial flows and public policies towards creating regenerative land use systems. We advocate for tackling interlinked ecological, social, and economic issues in an integrated way through local, regenerative solutions. The result: Thriving ecosystems, economies, and communities for generations to come. The 4 Returns Framework:

- Return of Inspiration – Giving people hope and a sense of purpose.

- Return of Social Capital – Bringing back jobs, education and social connections.

- Return of Natural Capital – Restoring biodiversity and soils for healthy and resilient landscapes: reviving the ecological foundation of our societies and economies.

- Return of Financial Capital – Realising long-term sustainable income for communities and businesses.

❤️ Donate now to make an impact with us: https://commonland.com/donate/

Meet Luc Gnacadja 🌱 Mayor of Cotonou and an architect by training, with over four decades of experience at the intersect...
01/06/2026

Meet Luc Gnacadja 🌱 Mayor of Cotonou and an architect by training, with over four decades of experience at the intersection of sustainable development, public policy, and territorial transformation.
 
He served as Minister of Environment, Housing and Urban Planning of Benin from 1999 to 2005, and subsequently as Executive Secretary of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification () from 2007 to 2013. During his tenure he was the guiding voice for sustainable land development in the negotiations leading up to the Rio+20 Summit in 2012, and is widely recognised as the architect of the concept of Land Degradation Neutrality — now embedded in the global development agenda as SDG Target 15.3.
 
He is the founder of GPS-Dev (Governance & Policies for Sustainable Development), a think-and-do tank promoting governance reforms for inclusive and sustainable development. His work has consistently focused on restoring the balance between people, nature, and economies through integrated, landscape-based approaches.
 
Luc Gnacadja currently serves on several international boards, including and contributes to advancing innovative climate finance mechanisms, notably through the Adaptation Benefits Mechanism of the Paris Agreement.
 
Luc brings to Commonland’s Supervisory Board unparalleled expertise and long-standing commitment to land restoration policy, African regional leadership, and the role of cities as catalysts for resilient and inclusive transitions.

31/05/2026

HOW DOES SYSTEMIC CHANGE ACTUALLY HAPPEN? 💥
 
Welcome to the chaotic world of Transition Dynamics!! 
When old systems (think fossil fuel industries) begin to decline, tensions rise, and doubts about their sustainability spread.

This is when new ideas start to emerge. At first, they might seem radical—like cycling to work instead of driving—but over time, they gain traction and become a part of our social norms.

The X-curve (by .eur and .kic) is a tool for understanding how societies transition. It shows us the patterns of breakdown and buildup, highlighting leverage points for change and opportunities for new growth.
 
The X-curve can help you to:

🔍 Understand Systems: The X-curve makes transition dynamics clearer by visualising how old systems decline while new ones grow, and how their forces interact.

🤝 Set Priorities: It helps co-develop a shared vision among stakeholders, making systemic change easier to navigate and creating a common agenda for the future.

💡 Guide Action: The tool identifies interventions, strategies, and resources needed to foster systemic change, guiding experiments and decision-making.

🌀 Drive Learning: It encourages ongoing reflection and learning, helping stakeholders adapt and steer through transformative shifts.
 
Curious to learn more about using the X-curve for your work? Check out this resource from .eur for Transition and .kic in the comments below👇 
 
How could the X-curve support your journey? Have you used it before? we’d love to hear your experiences.

30/05/2026

What comes to mind when you hear “return on investment”?💰📈
 
What if it also meant restoring ecosystems, reconnecting communities, and reimagining a future worth working toward?
 
Meet the 4 Returns Framework.
 
🌱 Return of nature

Restoring biodiversity, soils, and water cycles for healthy and resilient landscapes: reviving nature.

🤝 Return of community

Creating new livelihood and education opportunities and weaving social connections: the building blocks of thriving communities.

💸 Return of financial capital

Creating long-term economic prosperity and resilience for communities via new business models and income streams that suit each unique landscape.

💡 Return of inspiration

Connecting people to the landscape and motivating them to care for nature: planting seeds of hope for a brighter future.
 
People and organisations all over the world are already working to restore landscapes.
 
From conservationists and farmers to business owners and policymakers, the 4 Returns Framework supports collaborative efforts to restore nature and regenerate communities.
 
Watch our new video to see how it works!

Link in bio to the full resolution version.

We’re partnering with Katapult Future Fest 🌱Commonland is partnering with KFF2026 taking place this coming week and - as...
26/05/2026

We’re partnering with Katapult Future Fest 🌱

Commonland is partnering with KFF2026 taking place this coming week and - as an Amsterdam-based organisation - we’re proud to be part of it right here in our home base!

Katapult Future Fest brings together impact investors, founders, technologists and changemakers for three days of ideas, art and action. This year’s theme, Enter the Metamorphosis, explores how we navigate the transition from extractive systems towards more regenerative futures, and how many of the solutions, ideas and alliances for what comes next are already beginning to emerge.

That framing resonates deeply with what we do every day. Collective action for systems change - shifting landscapes from extractive to regenerative, bringing finance, communities and ecological science into alignment - is the foundation of Commonland’s work. So we’re super excited to be taking part in what promises to be a groundbreaking event.

Catch us, in particular, at the following events:

🍽️ Thursday: We’re hosting a community dinner: good food, honest conversation, the right people.

🌍 Friday: We’re co-facilitating the closing session of the bioregional track, bringing experts from landscapes and organisations across the world to discuss how we can make place-based finance happen now.

🥂 Saturday: We’re hosting a regenerative ecosystem drinks for the changemakers and innovators who want to keep the conversation going beyond the festival floor. RSVP in the link in the comments below.

If you’re coming to KFF this week and you care about regenerative landscapes, impact finance and what systemic change actually looks like in practice - we’d love to see you there!

People and pollinators have always bee-n in it together 🐝 And while it’s called , let’s not forget the other pollinator...
20/05/2026

People and pollinators have always bee-n in it together 🐝
 
And while it’s called , let’s not forget the other pollinators that sustain our ecosystems too. 🦇🦋🐦🪲

CELEBRATION TIME - today, we’re putting the spotlight on Maikel and Miguel, two farmers who are part of this year’s co...
19/05/2026

CELEBRATION TIME - today, we’re putting the spotlight on Maikel and Miguel, two farmers who are part of this year’s cohort! 🎉
 
In 2014, a group of roughly 10 farmers joined hands with other local people and organisations to create AlVelAl, an association working to restore the whole Altiplano Estepario landscape in Southeast Spain. 
 
At the intersection of Murcia, Granada and Almería, the Altiplano is one of Europe’s fastest desertifying landscapes, where agriculture has played a role in community life for generations. Since 2014, more than 600 local actors, over 400 of whom are farmers, have joined forces through AlVelAl to regenerate their region together.
 
Two of these people are Maikel Lara and Miguel Angel Gomez, both farmers and restoration leaders regenerating their land and re-imagining the future of food production. They’ve faced many challenges along the way - but they keep going, driven by a deep commitment to their community and nature’s life support systems.
 
Maikel farms olives, almonds, and Segureño sheep with a small producers’ cooperative focused on Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil from regenerative agriculture within the AlVelAl territory.
 
Miguel Ángel Gómez supports both and AlVelAl’s farmer members as Technical Director of Regenerative Agriculture and President of Almendrehesa S.L.

 
Being selected for the Top50 farmers’ cohort recognises not only the vital and pioneering nature of their work but also that the Altiplano has become a lighthouse landscape. It’s one of the places the world can look to for inspiration, learning, and proof that regeneration is possible thanks to AlVelAl, and their members, partners, and collaborators.
 
We’re so grateful to be involved in the regeneration of the Altiplano Estepario supporting AlVelAl,  .regenerativa and many others. Head to Top50 farmer’s website in the comments below to find out more about the work of Maikel and Miguel!

Want to work at Commonland? We’re looking for a temporary Office Manager! The Office Manager is the beating heart of our...
18/05/2026

Want to work at Commonland? We’re looking for a temporary Office Manager!

The Office Manager is the beating heart of our office, ensuring everything runs smoothly: from maintaining a welcoming work environment to managing practical processes and administrative tasks.

Both Dutch and English are required for this role.

If you have:

🟢 A heart for people
🟢 A passion for setting an inspirational working vibe

And you:

🌱 Want to contribute to a well-organised, pleasant, and future-oriented office
🌱 Are service-minded, independent, and comfortable working with different systems

Then we would love to hear from you!

📌 See all the details and apply here: https://lnkd.in/eanR8W2H

Meet Tara Shyam, the Executive Director of Regen10, an international multistakeholder initiative committed to advancing ...
18/05/2026

Meet Tara Shyam, the Executive Director of Regen10, an international multistakeholder initiative committed to advancing a global food system that inclusively supports healthier people, nature, and climate.

She is a specialist in complex, global food systems partnerships, with diverse expertise spanning agriculture, nutrition, school meals, and food loss & waste. 

Tara drives transformation, often in contested spaces, by aligning government, business, multilateral agencies, civil society, and academia, without diluting institutional mandates or prescribing uniform approaches.

Tara brings to Commonland’s Supervisory Board a unique ability to build the cross-sector coalitions that transformative landscape restoration demands.

Is something weighing you down that you need to let go of? Ready to shift gears and rediscover focus? 🌱✨The Ecocycle fra...
17/05/2026

Is something weighing you down that you need to let go of? Ready to shift gears and rediscover focus? 🌱✨

The Ecocycle framework, designed by The Liberators, helps you and your team figure out what to nurture, what to let go of, and where to focus energy for the future. It’s more than a tool – it’s a mindset shift!

We often invest time in activities that might pay off someday, but they drain our energy now. The Ecocycle helps you decide which activities to nurture, which to let go of, and which need a complete change. It’s a practical way to see the bigger picture – whether for yourself, your team, or your organization.

The key to Ecocycle? Balance. ⚖️

A healthy Ecocycle means nurturing new ideas while letting go of what no longer serves you.

So how does it work?

🌰 Gestation: Ideas you’re not acting on yet but are considering for the future – seeds of possibility.

🌱 Birth: Initiatives that need nurturing and energy. These are just getting started but show potential for impact.

🌳 Maturity: Activities delivering value with ease – these are your steady, established efforts. But be careful not to get stuck here.

💥 Creative Destruction: The hard part – what’s not serving you anymore? This is where you let go or reinvent what’s holding you back. Don’t get stuck in the Rigidity Trap.

The magic of the Ecocycle is embracing its cyclical nature. Growth sometimes requires letting go to make room for transformation. 

Use this framework at any level – your personal to-do list, team projects, or even entire strategies. It’s all about focus, identifying barriers, and spotting opportunities.

So, what are you ready to look at with fresh eyes?

“If anything positive emerges from the war in Iran, it could be the expanded awareness that we do have choices about the...
16/05/2026

“If anything positive emerges from the war in Iran, it could be the expanded awareness that we do have choices about the future of agriculture.”

— Sarah Van Gelder, CommonDreams
 
The war in Iran has exposed the fragility at the heart of our global food system. Price shocks, supply constraints, a chokepoint in the Strait of Hormuz and suddenly the chemicals that underpin world agriculture are out of reach.
 
But the crisis also offers a spotlight to the farmers who never built their model on that fragility to begin with. Farmers who have always used agro-ecological and regenerative practices - or who have recently transitioned from conventional to regenerative.
 
These farmers don’t compete on chemicals or expensive technology. Their edge is knowledge, long-term ecosystem health, and climate resilience. They implement practices that optimise for human health, ecological health, and economics all at once.
 
The fertiliser crisis has made it impossible to ignore: the regenerative system, built on knowledge and health rather than chemical inputs, is structurally more resilient than the industrial model.
 
As this article highlights, as consumers, citizens, and eaters, we have more choice than we think when it comes to choosing what kind of system we want to back. We can vote with our supermarket baskets - and, where feasible, our wallets.
 
Do you want to support soil or oil?
 
Read more about how to support a more resilient farming system at the link in our bio.
 
Thank you Sarah and for featuring our voice in this piece.

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