4Returns Unfolded: Regenerative business as a driver of landscape restoration

4 RETURNS UNFOLDED – Regenerative business as driving force for landscape restoration

Landscape restoration is nothing new, local communities have been taking care of and restoring their environment for centuries. Business is as old as human civilization as well. But our current economic system and extractive business models play a crucial role in the loss of biodiversity globally, and how we (over)use and (under)value ecosystem resources.

Modern agricultural practices aim to maximize yields in the short term, but they have resulted in a long-term degradation of the landscape. While regenerative business models work with a systemic approach that includes social and natural factors and delivers long-term sustainable profit, thriving communities, and healthy landscapes.

So how can regenerative business models in agriculture be a driving force for landscape restoration? Learn from 7 years of lessons learned by 4 Returns community members, and keynote speakers.

4 Returns Unfolded

The webinar series ‘4 Returns Unfolded’ is part of a learning journey called the “Mountain Trail” hosted by Commonland and partners. We highlight each of the 4 Returns and share the lessons learned of the past 7 years. Earlier editions were hosted on the Return of Inspiration and on Regenerative Agriculture.

This is a 4 Returns community event opened up for organizations and practitioners who like to explore, want to learn, or get inspired by how regenerative business models can restore degraded landscapes and drive change.

Programme (time in CET) 

09.00 – 09.30 | 7 years of Lessons Learned on Regenerative Business Development by global 4 Returns partners

09.30 – 10.30 | Contributions of…

• Erinch Sahan | Business & Enterprise Lead Doughnut Economics Action Lab, UK (key note)
• Ben Cole | Managing Director Wide Open Agriculture, Australia
• Brad Vanstone | Founder Willicroft, The Netherlands
• … more speakers to be announced soon!

10.30 – 11.00 | Peer-to-peer exchange with other professionals on business development learnings & challenges brought in by speakers

With contributions of:

• Erinch Sahan | Business & Enterprise Lead Doughnut Economics Action Lab, UK

For over 10 years, Erinch has focused on the transformation of the business world to make it regenerative and distributive by design – exploring governance and ownership models that embed social and ecological priorities. Leading currently the business and enterprise work of the Doughnut Economics Action Lab, his background ranges from business, government, social enterprise and NGOs with former positions as chief executive of the World Fair Trade Organization and head of private sector team at Oxfam.

• Ben Cole | Managing Director Wide Open Agriculture, Australia

Wide Open Agriculture is Australia’s leading regenerative food & agriculture company. Through their food brand Dirty Clean Food they grow and sell delicious, healthy food like OatUp: the world’s first carbon-neutral plant-based milk. They partner with farmers committed to rebuilding healthy soil, enhancing biodiversity and restoring waterways.

• Brad Vanstone | Founder Willicroft, The Netherlands

Willicroft, founded in 2018, reimagines how we consume cheese combined with age-old techniques and a more planet-friendly ingredient base. With Mother Nature as their CEO, they’re placing the planet’s future front and centre behind every decision they make. The name originates from Willicroft Farm in Devon founded by Brad’s grandparents in 1957, where he learned the basics of dairy cheese making.

More speakers to be announced soon.

About the 4 Returns – Return of Financial Capital

The practical and science-based 4 Returns Framework for holistic landscape restoration transforms degraded ecosystems into thriving communities and landscapes by focusing on 4 key returns – inspiration, social capital, natural capital, and financial capital – over the course of a single generation, or 20 years. Since 2014, Commonland and partners have been collaborating as a growing 4 Returns network. More information on Commonland’s 4 Returns approach can be found here, or visit the 4 Returns community.

After subscribing, you receive an email in the week of the event with the zoom link. See you there!