Landvestors how citizens and companies (could) invest in our landscapes COLOFON
Research & design Lea Soret, Ana Luisa Moura & Merten Nefs Vereniging Deltametropool
Case contacts Joost Hagens & Anneke van Mispelaar Bureau Buiten Wes Korrel Boeren van Amstel Gilmee Davids Verstegen Spices & Sauces B.V. Willemijn de Iongh Commonland Matthijs Boeschoten Wij.land Eline Van de Veen Seats4Silence
Participants online expertmeeting (subscribed) Danielle van den Berg Marijn Bos Bertus Cornelissen Roos van der Deijl Paul Gerretsen Joost Hagens Hans Heupink Damo Holt Harma Horlings David Kloet Gerben Kok Wes Korrel Willemijn de Longh Tyora van der Meulen Frank van Mil Ana Luisa Moura Merten Nefs Leo Pols Jos Rademakers Paul Roncken Kjell Schmidt Arjen Simons Martine Sluijs Lea Soret Mieke Span Livina Tummers Eline van de Veen Peter van Veelen
Landvestors October 1st, 2020 Isbn: 9789076630533 84 pages full-colour 75 copies and interactive pdf Contents can be used under Creative Commons license BY-SA www.deltametropool.nl Landvestors
11 Introduction
13 Learning from earlier work
15 Looking for Landvestors
17 Reflection Case studies
19 Learning from Rhein-Main
Contents 21 Opportunities for landvestors
25 Grand reveal
Case studies: donations
31 The Bentway Park
35 Peninsula Open Space Trust
39 Regionalpark Rhein Main
43 Wij.Land
47 Landpark Assisië
Case studies: crowdfunding
53 Seats4Silence
57 Smaakpark
61 Land van Ons
Case studies: business model
67 Arctic Paper
71 Boeren Van Amstel
75 Verstegen Spices & Sauces B.V.
79 Park-inclusive development “Bangka is an island in Indonesia, between Sumatra and Borneo. The hills behind the harbor town of Muntok have the ideal climate for the production of white pepper: the culinary sister of the black pepper. It is not without reason that the white pepper originally comes from there. Behind the hills, the sustainable production process is already starting. We work with a fixed group of farmers who grow pepper for us using agroforestry” (www.verstegen.eu)
Verstegen’s program ReNature combines innovative farming with ecological goals. Farmers acquire knowledge on how to link the natural balance of the rainforest with their cultivation methods while also assuring a higher income.
Verstegen Spices and Sauces - Bangka Indonesia
Photo: www.verstegen.eu
4 Landvestors how citizens and companies (could) invest in our landscapes
5 Natur-Park Südgelände: Art, Nature, Technology
In the Berlin district of Tempelhof, a former railways shunting yard has been turned into a unique natural landscape while retaining striking relics of the steam train era. After the railyard closed, a "primeval forest" grew upon the 18-hectare site. It was the actions of many engaged citizens and financial support from the Allianz Umweltstiftung (environmental foundation) that enabled this ‘enchanted place’ to be opened to the public. EXPO 2000 declared the Natur-Park to be a "worldwide project".
The maintenance plan of the park is based on an interesting model, a very affordable pay-per-use system. Visitors can pay €1 upon entry, or take a yearly pass of €30.
Read more: www.gruen-berlin.de
Schönefelder Südgelände
Photo: Micharl, Fickr Creative Commons, 2015
6 7 Landgoed Kasteel Lunenburg. Photo: Dirk-Jan Kraan
Festival Mañana Mañana 2015. Photo: Marco Derksen
8 Landgoed Duin & Kruidberg, restaurant and event location. Photo: Martha de Jong- Lantink
Many privately developed landscapes in the Netherlands are rural estates, which had their boom period in the 17th century. Today, these early ‘Landvestment’ projects often perform a cultural role in Dutch society, or function as attractive leisure environments, accessible for all. Are new innovative types of 21st century estates imagineable, with new social purposes, different styles and other corporate or cooperative forms of landscape financing?
9 “In the Netherlands, everyone expects two things to be always free of charge: the weather and the landscape.” – Nicole Hoven, Vereniging Natuurmonumenten
“Our man-made delta landscape is unique, as is the habit of negotiating and collaborating with partners about the landscape. What’s tough in the Netherlands, is the number and complexity of actors, plans and legislation. We should take landscape restoration and recreation as paid services seriously.” – Willem Ferwerda, Commonland
“Large companies have budgets for corporate social responsibility (CSR), but many are still looking for fitting projects. Preferably something sustainable or a social activity focused on their own employees.” – Laurens Kok, Westholland foreign investment agency
(Quotes from the publication Spot On, 2017)
‘Samen voor leefbare landschappen’. Website ‘Wij.Land’, Still from video
10 ‘Boeren Wes en Kasper’. Website ‘Boeren van Amstel’, Still from video Introduction
Increasingly, governments come to the conclusion they cannot bear the financial burden of landscape development and maintenance by themselves. At the same time, private landscape initiatives by companies and citizen collectives are mushrooming in many places. Welcome to the age of Landvestors.
Learning from best practices economy, and sharing experiences forms of financing are relevant for This is a time of growing interests have been the motivations for the Dutch context? How do the and ambitions regarding the Dutch our program ‘Landschap als funding mechanisms work and how landscape, also when it comes Vestigingsvoorwaarde’, including can Dutch stakeholders start to use to Dutch politics and planning. publications such as Blind Spot, a them? And how does our relationship Apart from visions and designs, lively Community of Practice (CoP) with the landscape change, when these ambitions also require and events such as the Landscape we pay for it privately instead of funds. Investing in the landscape Triennial (more information on www. collectively? is high on the agenda because of deltametropool.nl). climate change, preservation of The 12 practices are divided in three cultural history, the stimulation of Donation, crowdfunding or categories: donation, crowdfunding healthy living and a good economic business model and business model. For each, establishment climate. With financial support by the the financial model is sketched, a Dutch landscape initiatives, public Creative Industries Fund, the map is drawn and key information or private, can learn from each Landvestors project realizes a is gathered. Lessons learned, other’s financing practice as well quickscan of emerging forms of non- reflections on the potential of each as from good examples in other government landscape financing. case to be scaled up in the Dutch countries. Despite the tradition To promote crossovers between context, as well as the results of of privately funded estates in the spatial/landscape design and the the expertmeeting (July 2020) are 17th century, the Netherlands is not economic and financial disciplines, combined in this compact handbook very experienced when it comes we illustrate lessons learned from for landvestors. to contemporary ways of private foreign and Dutch practices, and financing of landscape. Exploring discuss these with landscape and the crossover of landscape and financial professionals. Which
11 Worldwide urban regions experience the pressure of urbanisation, climate change and intensive agriculture on their landscape. Simultaneously, regions start to acknowledge the importance of a vital and attractive landscape as a key success factor in the global battle for talent (see publication Blind Spot - Metropolitan Landscape in the Global Battle for Talent). The question is how to combine these increasing sustainability transitions with internal metropolitan demands, without loss of existing landscape qualities.
Source: www.landschapstriennale.com
Sugar Beach, Toronto. Photo: Merten Nefs
12 Learning from earlier work The changing position of the Dutch landscape, and the ways it can be paid for, has been receiving increased attention since the late 2000s, when the decentralization of landscape responsibilities by the government kicked in. Let’s revisit a few examples, by KPMG, Bureau Buiten, Ecorys, Metropolitan Region of Amsterdam, Rebel Group, Popup City, Wageningen UR and Task Force Financiering Landschap Nederland.
How much money do Dutch - their intrinsic value, ecosystem impact by investing in landscape landscapes need? services, health benefits and projects in the region. A similar The European Landscape Convention multiplier effects on the built approach is thinkable with regard
(2000) decided that any area made environment - are worth many to CO2 emissions: a new taxation or experienced by people can be times the cost. To cut a long story system could nudge stakeholders called landscapes. The question short, landscapes have a cost, let’s towards landscape investments. of how much a landscape costs, estimate it on a €1.000 per person therefore depends on the actual area per year, which is many times worth 3. Landscape funds, with at hand, what we intend to do there, the effort. The problem is however, contributions by companies and and for how long. In 2010, KPMG that governments don’t receive most citizens in the region. Examples used a model to calculate the costs of these mentioned benefits in cash, of such funds are VSB-fund and of restoration and management of and have increasing difficulty to pay Droomfonds (by Postcode Loterij). designated national and provincial the landscape bills. This is merely a Another option is individual landscapes in the Netherlands: €1,7 political problem, one could rightfully investment by companies in billion for the period 2011-2020. This argue. But in the meantime, why landscape projects, motivated by sum did not include investment in wouldn’t we look at large companies, ethics, good publicity, goodwill, a large nature reserves (Natura 2000). home owners and other stakeholders smart business model, or Corporate In 2019, Bureau Buiten calculated who clearly benefit from the Social Responsibility. that desired landscape investments landscape? in the Metropolitan Region As the first two options have to be Amsterdam (MRA) alone, might have Alternative funding of landscapes enforced by law, only option 3 can a cost of €2 billion between 2020- As many landscape benefits do not be considerd genuine voluntary 2040. This time, the yearly landscape generate cash flows, so we need to private landscape investment. Tyora maintenance/management costs look for existing cash flows and bend Vermeulen (landscape legal advisor were not included. In both cases, the those towards the landscape. There at IPO) has mentioned that the new current landscape financing is not are several options that concern Environmental Act of the Netherlands sufficient. private initiative: will increase the possibilities to demand private sector contributions “Landschap Verdient Beter”, a 1. Re-distributing funds from to landscape in for example housing report by Task Force Financiering spatial developments that projects, or financial compensation Landschap Nederland (2008), drew generate large cash flows, such for negative impacts. Public as well attention to the Dutch cultural as housing (Wageningen UR, as private money, from investors landscape, traditionally maintained 2018), infrastructure works and for example, can be sources for by private initiative - farmers. The sustainable energy projects. landscape funds. Additionally, she yearly amount needed to maintain Experts praise the potential of this states, “local governments should this (agri)cultural landscape, option, but emphasize that the right get rid of the taboos and learn to around €600 million per year, was scale (regional/local) and timing earn a profit and create other values estimated too big to be paid by (before the permits!) is important from landscape qualities and related private initiatives. The researchers (Bureau Buiten, 2019). Landscape services, to pay for maintenance suggest to build a system of public unfortunately is not the only sector or development.” Examples are instruments for organizing and eyeballing these cash flows, so there educational and leisure activities, supporting private initiatives, so that is competition ahead. sports events and information these together could also generate products. landscape benefits for all. 2. Compensation. Activities with a negative environmental impact, such Many regions, such as the On the other side of the balance as airports and other infrastructure, Metropolitan Region Amsterdam, sheet, the benefits of landscapes can by law be forced to offset this come to the conclusion that they
13 need to involve private initiative in the landscape. It turns out that in References the creation of a landscape fund. Yet, The Netherlands, donations have Bureau Buiten (2019) Geld en they ask themselves which types of dropped in the economic crisis, but opgaven voor het MRA landschap financing would be appropriate for have increased again since (Ecorys, their situation, which regions they 2018). For Dutch land trusts such Ecorys (2018) Investeringen en could learn from, and what (not) to do as Natuurmonumenten, it has beheer van het landelijk gebied in in terms of (fiscal) legislation (MRA, become more difficult to attract new de MRA 2018). members, while their steady income from the Postcodeloterij is possibly KPMG (2010) Duurzame Rebel Group proposes to use better threatened when online gambling is financiering van landschap the existing financing instruments, legalized in 2020. such as the User Tax to make those MRA (2018) Het metropolitan who use the landscape pay for it. Many financial and legal instruments landschap als metropolitane opgave And to develop innovative new have been explored and discussed instruments, such as Social Impact over the years, but they prove hard Popup City (2016) Merkstedenbouw Bonds, through which those who to put into practice. Landvestors benefit can invest in the services starts at the other end, learning Rebel Group (2019) Meer doen. and qualities they enjoy; or so- from good practices on the ground, Meer samen doen. Hoe betalen we called Budget Ladders, or Area and reflecting on how they have betere en mooiere gebieden Development Zones (Rebel, 2020). done it. We hope this approach will Other ideas concern large investment bring landscape planning/design Task Force Financiering Landschap organizations such as pension funds professionals and the financial/legal Nederland (2008) Landschap and health assurance companies. disciplines closer together. Verdient Beter Most of these ideas, however, have not been put into practice yet. Tyora van der Meulen (2019) Presentatie Financiering van Reasons to focus on private Landschap en Natuur initiatives There are convincing reasons to Wageningen UR (2018) Groei keep spending the taxpayer’s money versus groen. Drie casestudy’s over on landscape, because basically de waarde van het stadsgroen in we all benefit from it. But there are Amsterdam also reasons – other than political problems - to start looking for private funding. The benefits of the landscape are widely, but not equally, spread. It seems only fair that a business that capitalizes on attractive landscapes, such as tourism, pays more. Or what about the financial or high-tech sectors, which thrive on talented workers who would leave if the quality of the Dutch living environment declined. Or compare a home owner on the edge of a national park, compared to a dweller on a rental flat far from attractive landscapes. Making room for private initiative in landscape development can also stimulate creativity, responsibility and flexibility of private stakeholders, and (under the right circumstances) make landscape development more democratic. Although it is necessary to keep checks and balances on the influence of stakeholders (Popup City, 2016): “The public domain is not meant to be a three-dimensional billboard.”
Donations and crowdfunding are often mentioned as powerful instruments to help finance all kinds of societal goals, such as
14 Looking for Landvestors
We have looked for diverse practices Of each case, we have gathered some in The Netherlands and abroad, not basic information regarding surface to copy, but to discuss and learn area, type of landscape, investment from designers, landscape planners, model, timeline, stakeholders entrepreneurs and financial or and their intrinsic motivations. In legal experts. Several people in interviews we obtained additional the Deltametropolis Association in-depth information. The 12 cases network have suggested cases for are presented in three categories the research. Three questions have of financing: Donations, Crowd guided the selection and quick scan funding and Business Models. We of the cases: have mapped their operations in the landscape, graphically represented Which forms of financing are their financial models, looked at their relevant for the Dutch context? timelines, studied the stakeholders as well as their narratives and How do the funding mechanisms ambitions. For each case we summed work and how can Dutch up lessons learned and potential stakeholders start to use them? to scale up in the Netherlands. The material is presented and compared And how does our relationship as concise, transparent and visually with the landscape change, when as possible in the following chapters. we pay for it privately instead of collectively?
overview case studies
Park-Inclusive Development Land van Ons Landpark Assisië Boeren van Amstel Seats4Silence Arctic Paper Munkedal SmaakPark Wij.L and Rhein-Main Regional Park
The Bentway Park Peninsula Open Space Trust
Verstegen Spices & Sauces B.V.: Bangka
business model crowdfunding donations
15 Comparing landvestor initiatives: scale geographic reach and investment
Land van Ons Seats4Silence
Park-inclusive development
Landpark Assisië
Verstegen Spices & Sauces B.V. L M S
Rhein-Main Park Smaakpark
Peninsula Open Space Trust
Boeren van Amstel
Wij.Land
Arctic Paper
Legenda: Bentway Park Bentway
business model crowdfunding donations
geographical reach scale of investment GeographicS: local. singular site, reach singular initiative S: project basis, one timeScale investment of on investment one location
M: regional. Landscape development and protection linked to M: program basis, investment embedded on a wider a S:particular local. programssingular or thematic site, agreements,singular such initiative as co2 socioeconomic goal andS: therefore project matching basis, other budgetaryone time investment on one location compensation, sustainable agriculture pilots or regional agendas (public and/or private): sustainable agriculture, identity strategies. restoring biodiversity, assuring air or soil quality
M:L: networkregional. of small Landscape to medium sites withdevelopment comparable and protectionL: strategy basis, long termM: commitment program between basis, public investment and embedded on a wider linkedcharacteristics to particular that aims at growing programs by mimesis or in thematic order to agreements,private stakeholders. Landscapea socioeconomic as shared asset for bothgoal and therefore matching other reach a regional or national scale. It’s a systemic strategy and private investment/marketing and matters of public interest suchthe concept as co2 is applicable compensation, to other sites or countries. sustainable agriculturesuch as healthy urbanizationbudgetary and regional agendasattractiveness. (public and/or private): sustainable pilots or regional identity strategies. agriculture, restoring biodiversity, assuring air or soil quality L: network of small to medium sites with comparable characteristics that aims at growing by mimesis L: strategy basis, long term commitment between in order to reach a regional or national scale. It’s a public and private stakeholders. Landscape as shared systemic strategy and the concept is applicable to other asset for both private investment/marketing and sites or countries. matters of public interest such as healthy urbanization and regional attractiveness.
16 Comparing landvestor initiatives: values
Donations Business model Crowdfunding
A - landscape ambitions first B - landscape oriented solutions C - local versus global: solutions and stakeholders D - transparency of agreements E - level of shared interests between stakeholders
Reflection
From each of the 12 landvestor smaller impact, while multinational investment. Often, these will run practices, specific inspiration and companies need to make practical into difficulties regarding the legal lessons can be drawn. Regarding choices besides their good or planning context, or insecurity them as a group, we make three intentions but have a huge impact of finances in the startup phase. generic observations. with anything they change in their Governments can stimulate private business. In other words, it’s OK landscape investment initiatives by 1. Vision and values first to make trade-offs, but in most making the right (fiscal) laws and The most successful private initiatives, a better discussion creating financial incentives. Or landscape investment initiatives would be helpful regarding what they can embed private landscape have a very clear communication can be expected from which kind of investment in larger landscape regarding their principles and stakeholder, and to determine when development plans and area funds. aims, and how they want to we’re looking at greenwashing or a Private initiatives aim for healthy achieve them. Values that are often genuine contribution. Meanwhile, the urban living, sustainable agriculture mentioned are quantitative and government needs to keep showing and other goals that fit perfectly in qualitative ambitions for landscape the good example, like it did in Room governmental policies for landscape development, landscape or ecology for the River, where investment and environment. Banks and other oriented solutions, local versus for water safety was combined financial institutions can help out global stakeholders, transparency with landscape development and by establishing landscape-friendly and consistently shared interests recreational routes. products, such as green loans and throughout the initiative and its mortgages. Large institutions also stakeholders. 3. Institutions can realize the have the influence to demand better potential quality of (agricultural) products and 2. Trade-offs are key Citizens and companies are able working conditions. Individuals can afford high levels to come up with attractive and of idealism, but have usually a innovative concepts for landscape
17 “The more you want money from the private sector, the more you have to invest into marketing and emotion. It is very important to picture your ideas, to translate landscape and its benefits for your target group”.
- Kjell Schmidt, director RegionalPark RheinMain
RegionalPark RheinMain bike ride. Photo: List_84, Flickr CC, 2013
18 Learning from Rhein-Main During the Landvestors expert meeting, online on July 16th 2020, director Kjell Schmidt shared his experience on private investments in Regionalpark Rhein-Main. Dutch landscape development experts engaged in a discussion with Schmidt about the lessons for the Netherlands.
The Regionalpark Rhein-Main is Park history and setup the park as a soft location factor, is a relevant mirror for the Dutch From what we heard, Regionalpark among these sponsors. landscape. Like many parts of The Rhein-Main is no crucial element to As a comparison, the Recreation Netherlands, the German state of Frankfurt’s identity, in the way the Boards in the U16 region yearly Hessen is highly urbanized and peat meadows are to Amsterdam. collect about €3 million to perform fragmented by infrastructures. The Nevertheless, the park provides similar tasks, but don’t work with the state has come to the conclusion important leisure space for the large park perimeter that Rhein-Main that the quality of the living urban agglomeration. In a growing has. environment has become a crucial region where each square meter is assett in the competition with other counted on twice, this is of great The pragmatic role of FraPort regions, and that makes landscape value. Increasing the quality and The airport has been a stakeholder a relevant economic location factor, the use of the area were the main of the park since 2006, “to give according to Schmidt. In size, the reasons for founding the park. Most something back to the region” that is Frankfurt region and the park are of the efforts go to development of impacted by noise and air pollution about the size of the U16 (the region leisure infrastructure, landscape art related to air traffic. Their voluntary of Utrecht). The impact of Frankfurt and architecture, information, routes, contribution makes sense, since the airport on the quality of life and visitor centers and access points. airport depends on the quality of the economy is comparable to The park boundaries function as a the business climate in and around Schiphol in the Randstad. FraPort, greenbelt, which avoids urban sprawl. Frankfurt, and with 51% of shares the airport operations company The park is run by a lean non-profit owned by the state of Hessen, and largest sponsor of the regional company with a staff of seven. The public goals are not strange to the park, has announced that they will shareholders generate the yearly company. The airport constructed a stop investing in 2021. What can budget of €2,5 million. In 2020 new runway in 2011, which required we learn from Regionalpark Rhein- municipalities contribute €1,5 a public ‘license to operate’. There Main? million, FraPort €400.000, the is however also a strong personal Regionalverband €250.000, Hessen touch involved in the sponsoring of €150.000 and other sponsors the park. After the former FraPort account for the remaining €200.000. director left in 2017, the park was A club of 400 companies, who see soon informed that the company would stop funding in 2021. Schmidt warns not to be naive when dealing with large companies such as FraPort, but also not to discard their contributions too easily as ‘greenwashing’. Such companies play an important role in the regional economy (FraPort is one of Hessen’s largest private employers), and it is right to safeguard its strategic interests in the area. From 2006 until 2019, FraPort spent €17 million on the Regional Park, Case studieseven though their yearly amount has been decreasing. Their new terminal building project already obtained all permissions, so that is no incentive to remain a shareholder. The outlook of FraPort has become more international over the last few Buitenschot Park, near Schipol Airport. Website: H+N+S Landschapsarchitecten
19 years, The company has invested in but at the same time Rhein Main The experts observed that the many airports abroad (especially in is lucky to have larger budgets for agricultural and natural qualities Greece). This focus away from the landscape than most other regional of the park seem to be of less German region could also explain parks in Germany. The economic importance in the presentation. why they’re stopping their support to success of the region has the Why not invest in the landscape as a the park in 2021. Fortunately, Hessen additional side effect that it increases robust performative system of large will compensate the loss of income. the development pressure of for natural and agricultural areas? As a comparison, the Dutch Schipol instance business estates, which Schmidt explains that the park Fund collected €30 million over a could challenge the park perimeter. does work on biodiversity, nature, period of six years, but only a part of sustainability and other goals, but this amount was spent on landscape Schmidt emphasizes the importance tries to approach them through the projects. of chosing a clear goal as a lense of public use and values of the government, and being the first park. Discussion to allocate investments to show An expert of South-Holland is companies that you’re serious and Some experts are curious about the enthousiastic about Rhein-Main that there is no risk if they decide to number of farms in the park and the and sees parallels with the Port of match the public investment with a willingness of farmers to operate Rotterdam, Getijdenpark, Dunea private investment of their own. Good within a park context, perhaps in and National Park Hollandse Duinen, communication and marketing of the the way Barcelona and Milan have as well as the Recreation Boards. park project is key, appealing to many an ‘agricultural park’. The relation Utrecht has also interesting initiatives values including the emotional and with farmers was challenging at to share and compare, such as identitarian. first, Schmidt explains. Small and Parkinclusive Development in and One expert wonders if the Rhein- part-time farmers in the park area around National Park Heuvelrug. Main park organisation has a however turned out to be very Some of the experts mentioned strategic position for research and interested in teaching and engaging that despite the good practice of education, for example ‘living labs or people in agricultural practice and the airport sponsoring Regionalpark nature/food awareness programs. nature conservation. This ended up Rhein-Main, the numbers are still At the moment, the park has two being the shared interest with the limited compared to the large profits research projects, one focused on agenda of the park. that these companies make. Schmidt agriculture (CityZen), and one about acknowledges that this is the case, sustainable tourism (NaToutHuKi).
—— “Money goes where money is! Public spending remains a key element in stimulating private spending on landscape, even when you try to get private contributions. Because landscape, as a public good, is expected to be a public Job.” - Kjell Schmidt Regionalpark RheinMain. Website Hessen-tourismus.de
20 Opportunities for landvestors
After the discussion on Regionalpark Rhein-Main, about 30 experts in the area of landscape design, development and financing, both from governments and the private sector, joined three case-oriented breakout sessions. They assessed the opportunities of donations, crowdfunding and business models. Which of these options has the most potential for the Dutch landscape?
In the breakout sessions, the 12 Donations cases of landvestors, also present in Donating is owning. This feeling of A donation process also calls for a the second half of this publication, (shared) ownership is a crucial part, very precise selection of the target were discussed, compared and and the main motive for people to group. Arjen Simons (Brabants put into context. New inspiring want to contribute, Mieke Span Landschap) is in doubt, wether examples were gathered and (City of Utrecht) explains. Therefore, donation is the right way to finance experiences shared. donations should be explicit in his type and scale of landscape the communication regarding the developments, through the group of The majority of the experts is forms of ownership. Besides the friends and users. trying to be a landvestor, sees great potential of donation, she Philantropy has an archaic image landvestment as a good way to also has the experience that, in the in the Netherlands, despite iconic improve landscape quality, and case of fundraising for landscape examples of Philips in Eindhoven regards a combination of donations, development and maintenance, the and the port tycoons of Rotterdam. crowdfunding and business models budget for the donation process is Marijn Bos (Metropolitan Region as the best way to move forward. sometimes equal to the budget for Amsterdam) discovered that there Donations and crowdfunding are the project itself. Donors, in other are still some pure philantropics nice and important, but solid public words, spend half of their money for left in the country. For example that and private business models are their own fundraising. This is rarely gentleman who bought 10 ha of necessary to get the job done. taken into account, which explains land in the Waterland area North why so many initiatives with small of Amsterdam, because he felt fundraising budgets fail. connected to it in a personal way.
21 Financial leverage over time within a landscape
New Landscape Policies 1 million hectares landscape change perverse policies – governments
Restoring Combined Zone Investment & loans: regenerative companies Investment in € Investment
Restoring Natural Zone grants, carbon, subsidies – private, public
Landscape Partnerships - transformation Building trust & business development Grants, subsidies ( <0,5% of Total Investment) - private, public 5 10 15 20 years Commonland, investment timeline. Graph: Commonland
He also mentioned the area funds the donation model to this end? Crowdfunding of the MRA, with some succes in Willemijn de Iongh (Commonland) Public engagement is essential for raising funds from enthousiastic reminds us that donations are a good sustainable investment, use and citizens. Big companies, for example tool for family-owned businesses. maintenance of the landscape on the in the financial setor of Amsterdam, Commonlands 20 year landscape long run. Crowdfunding initiatives are however, are not easy to convince to regeneration projects often use therefore great examples to look at participate in these funds, politician donations as part of the financing and learn from. The experts wonder Job Cohen discovered in his round of mix. It is quite a long timeline how the crowdfunding can scale interviews in 2019. Perhaps for a lack compared to most crowdfunding up in volume, spread over a larger of visibility and scale of the projects. and business models. “Long term area, and go viral online and offline. Harma Horlings (Staatsbosbeheer) landscape planning is a good match We also discussed the importance mentions the independent with family businesses, which have of a clear concept and identity of Buitenfonds foundation, where a multi-generation perspective, and landscape programs or strategies, big companies such as Shell and which do not get scared of long term a key element in any marketing Microsoft are financially stepping investments.” campaign in order to engage people, aboard in landscape programs make them political and to create a that the government can not afford jumpstart. anymore. “Yes, it can look like When a landscape initiative is run by greenwashing - we can all imagine a complex network of stakeholders, the CEO planting a tree in front —— “Long term landscape clear communication can sometimes of a television camera.” But the planning is a good match with become an obstacle, explains Eline companies commit to a 12 year family businesses, which have a van der Veen (Seats4Silence). contract, which is something we multi-generation perspective.” Crowdfunding, some experts think, don’t expect from the public sector - Willemijn de Iongh might be an instrument to make these days. landscape development more David Kloet (Karres & Brands democratic: governments and NGOs landscape architects) questions could use it to get popular ideas and the small scale of many donation- topics on the landscape and financial based initiatives. Many larger rural agendas. landscapes, the non-weekend Bertus Cornelissen (Utrecht destinations, are in desperate need of Province): “The most interesting a renaissance. How can we scale up thing about crowdfunding is that
22 Nationaal Park Utrechtse Heuvelrug. Website: www.regio90.nl
it connects people, both from the Business Model city and rural areas. Apart from the Investing in landscape as part of funding, which is sometimes limited, a business model is an attractive this potential of connecting social idea for several reasons. It not only groups is an important result of demonstrates a healthy interest of crowdfunding.” Seats4Silence, an companies in their surroundings and initiative that connects rural property community, but also breaks with owners to urban workers in need the traditional idea that landscape of a quiet workspace in a green is a cost instead of a great source of environment, shows this aspect very added values. Could business models well. help develop Dutch landscapes? In a time when urban regions Martine Sluijs emphasizes the lack experience a large growth in housing, —— “The most interesting of government funding to maintain offices and other facilities such thing about crowdfunding is National Park Heuvelrug (Utrecht). as energy production, the need that it connects people.” In the context of a yearly deficit of to connect urban dwellers to the - Bertus Cornelissen €1,5 million, investing in the park surrounding green areas is growing for the long term sounds like a as well. The Corona-crisis has luxury. Stakeholders around the park amplified this need for a green and seriously look for business models, attractive living environment even such as in the housing and recreation further. industries. Sluijs believes that only The experts emphasize the personal scaling up such business models to connection to landscapes close to the scale of the landscape unit itself the city. “If you invest as an individual will make this a success. In this area, in a project, it is your personal collaboration between a larger variety choice, demonstrating a powerful of financers and other stakeholders involvement in that landscape.” should be organized. Precisely this personal touch, Joost Hagens and Leo Pols strongly paradoxically, often makes it difficult agree, but add that in any case there to combine these projects into larger will always be a need for public programs, to scale them up and make funding of the landscape. And there them stable on the long term.” is a paradoxical effect of turning
23 Landvestors Expert Meeting, July 2020. Photo: Vereniging Deltametropool
a park into a network of business system as carbon, it could motivate models including parking fees, landscape investments. restaurants and leisure: these tend Paul Gerretsen reminds that such to occupy more and more space and systems are merely an attempt to promote the idea that we need to deal with the problems we created continuously consume our landscape in the last 50 years. “We should do in order to afford it. much more and anticipate.” A big question is therefore how to As a cultural landscape, almost the organize broader partnerships, with entire Dutch territory is made for a —— “There are still some pure better cooperation and collaboration purpose, often to produce an income. philantropics in the country. among investors as well as the The side effects can no longer be [...] We should appoint an owners and users of the land. A ignored. In the 17th century, there was ambassador to gather CEOs of solid financial vehicle is needed on still a balanced mix of culture and large national companies, defying the scale of the landscape, which basic nature functions, a balance them to sign a declaration and involves different sources of private which is barely present nowadays. co-finance, with the national and public financing. Perhaps only radical change can government, a concrete plan on Landscape-inclusive urban bring us back to such a balance. If improvement of soil, biodiversity development might be another a large part of the Dutch landscape and landscape, inspired by the way to involve businesses, such were owned by the state, province or existing Deltaplans.” as real estate developers, in a municipality, public entities would - Marijn Bos landscape projects. Leo Pols, with take away the burden of the high land his colleagues at the Environmental price from farmers and stimulate Assessment Agency (PBL), works more sustainable land management. on new taxation and compensation Crowfunding initiatives such as Land
models for CO2 and recently also van Ons already experiment with land nitrogen emissions. While carbon co-ownership by citizens. mostly accelerates climate change, nitrogen is responsible for unhealthy air pollution near infrastructure and ecological damage near livestock farms. If nitrogen would enter the same taxation and compensation
24 Grand reveal
At the end of the expertmeeting, not a single type of landvestor is revealed as the ideal sollution for the Dutch landscape, which is desperately in need of additional funding and stewardship. Instead, experts agree that the largest potential lies in combining business models, crowdfunding and donations with existing and new public funding for the landscape. Lessons from all landvestor models, including opportunities and pitfalls, need to be taken into account to make it work.
Awareness Long term and big scale Public awareness is necessary to are favorable. Companies for Besides showing the way and build up a critical mass for any example can show moral ownership performing their democratic duty in initiative of landscape development. by setting higher environmental taking care of a public good, public Communication and marketing standards of production and entities have the power to guarantee can obviously help to achieve this. supplies, investing time and money continuity of development programs Succesful examples are the OERR in community activities in the direct on the long run, and back them by tax campaign by Natuurmonumenten - surroundings and focusing Corporate payer money. Even during economic targeting children and their parents Responsibility funds towards the crises, such as the coming Corona with the idea that playing outdoors landscape. At the same time, citizens recession, governments can opt for and getting your hands dirty is can increase legal (co-)ownership landscape financing from reserves fun, and the recent crowfunding of the landscape by participating and bonds on the captital markets. campaign by Land van Ons that in land trusts, cooperatives and The work by Commonland shows went viral. Even better, however, is crowdfunding initiatives for nature that also for landscape developments the lip service of a growing group development and landscape inclusive with a private funding, longterm of politicians and CEOs, who point farming. engagement (20 years) is very at the importance of an excellent important, and over such a period a living environment and landscape, Public initiative changing mix of investors can help a for a broad concept of wealth: An important condition for these project to scale up. including both economy and quality forms of ownership is the clearly Large corporations, as we have of life. They affirm that we are all visible initiative of public entities in seen in the examples of Big Tech responsible. No leading company landscape development. On the one in the Peninsula Open Space Trust can afford to lag behind if this hand, the devestment of the national of Silicion Valley, the airport in becomes the mainstream attitude. government in landscape projects, Regionalpark RheinMain and Shell’s In this ‘new normal’, joint projects since 2010, has been an important investment in Dutch forest projects, and area funds can be more easily reason for citizens and some have their own strategic interests. As developed. A clear communicaton of companies to become landvestors. supersized landvestors, in principle the landscape development process, On the other hand, scaling up they can be a great ally. In practice and possiblities to contribute as small landvestment initiatives seems only their committment ought to be and large stake- or shareholders is a viable through strong partnerships evaluated in a larger context. Is the key to successs. with local, regional and national amount they contribute proportional governments. All experts we spoke to the positive public image and Ownership with agree that landscape, being a license to operate, tax cuts and In all three landvestor models public good, should always (partly) building permits they receive? - donations, crowdfunding and be shaped, facilitated, coordinated Experts agree that most of them business models - a sense of and developed by public entities and could easily afford to do a lot more. ownership is a crucial trigger. funds. The government is the largest Especially family-based firms, not run Ownership reflects both on the land owner, and public involvement by the shareholders, seem promising, moral side of care, engagement is necessary to represent all social since they have by nature a long- and responsibility as well as the groups of landscape users, not all term multi-generational perspective, legal side of power and control. As of whom are able to contribute as a and often a tradition of maintaining a citizen, institution or company, landvestor. Governments can also relationships with their surroundings. the awareness and sense of improve legislation to stimulate urgency as described above can landvestment and create space for a stimulate action if the conditions variety of forms of collaboration.
25 ‘Boeren Wes en Kasper’. Website ‘Boeren van Amstel’, Still from video
26 27 Adobe Creek, Palo Alto, California “Landscape is Corporate Identity” Blind Spot, Deltametropolis Association, 2016
The Adobe Creek in Palo Alto, California, was the inspiration of Charles Geschke and John Warnock for when they started their software company Adobe Systems in December 1982. Made from earth and organic material, ‘adobe’ was one of the earliest known building materials in the region. Based in the San Francisco Bay Area (San Jose) with over 13,000 employees worldwide, the company positions itself as a sustainable enterprise. It is among the larger contributors and supporters of the Peninsula Open Space Trust (POST), which buys and maintains land to protect the famous redwood forests and creeks in the region. This way, Adobe guarantees the quality of life for its employees in the future, as well as the preservation of the creek that gave the company its name. One of Adobe’s inventions, the PDF, has been used over 50 billion times worldwide. The company claims that a digitally signed PDF has a 91% lower ecological footprint than the same document would on paper.
Photo: Dan Gregson, Fickr CC, 2011
28 Case studies: donations
The Bentway Park Peninsula Open Space Trust Regionalpark Rhein Main Wij.Land Landpark Assisië
29 30 donations The Bentway Park
Like many cities, central Toronto had its own elevated highway project in the 1960s, the Gardiner Expressway. For decades, the residual space underneath was not used, and the experience of this historically important site was not possible. The need for park space and quality of life have become important items in the planning debate of the city since the 2000s. Since the construction of the Gardiner in 1966, the space remained off the radar until planner Ken Greenberg recognized its potential. After years of studying the space underneath the expressway, including a prestigious competition with famous design firms such as OMA, West8 and BIG, a large donation made it possible to envisage realization of the Bentway Park in a matter of years. The new innovative public space of 1,75 km long was proposed in 2015, and in 2019 it opened its doors to the city’s growing population.
Rediscovering history The rhythm of the concrete columns, The area surrounding the Bentway according Greenberg, resembles Park is layered with a rich and the famous colonnade of Palmyra, important history. The site sits on “and we got that for free”. The the traces of the former shoreline Bentway Park offers activities and of Lake Ontario, once an important events throughout the whole year. junction for trade and a gathering It also includes gardens, skate trail, place for Indigenous peoples, recreational amenities, public art, including the Haundenosaunee, the special exhibitions, theater festivals, Huron-Wendat and the Metis. It is musical performances and more. also the site of the Treaty lands of the Its programming is accessible and Mississaugas of the Credit. These participatory, it aims to explore the lands are part of Fort York National site’s unique histories, features and Historic Site, which is recognized possibilities. by the Government of Canada as being of national significance, yet The organization until recently rather inaccessible in The initial phase of the park project the middle of the elevated highway covers the area from Strachan complex. Considering the great Avenue to Bathurst Street, serving potential of the area yet still to be seven local neighborhoods with explored, the philanthropists Judy more than 70.000 residents. The and Wilmot Matthews decided to park provides these communities approach the Mayor of Toronto, John with a gateway to the waterfront, Tory, with a remarkable proposition: while providing all Torontonians a $25 million donation to transform with access to important attractions the neglected land under the express and destinations of the city such way into a new central park for the as: Fort York National Historic city, designed by PUBLIC WORK. Site, Ontario Place and Exhibition Place, the Harbor front Center and the CN Tower. Today, the Bentway Bentway Park, 2015 Park is maintained, operated and programmed by the Bentway Type of organization: foundation Conservancy, a collaboration of a range of city-builders and experts Landscape focus: metropolitan including the city of Toronto, Toronto landscape, residual Waterfront, Judy and Wilmot infrastructural space Matthews (the co-founders), Ken Greenberg Consultants, PUBLIC Scale: 1,75km long WORKS, Fort York National Historic Site and Artscape. On their website, Contact: the Bentway Park affirms to be a https://www.thebentway.ca/ proud member of the High Line Network, an international network Financing model: private of projects that transform industrial donations and public subsidy infrastructure into new urban landscapes. Half of the conservancy’s budget, $4 million in 2018, comes
31 32 donations
The Bentway Park. Photo: Wyliepoon, Flickr CC, 2018 from start-ups operating funds, one Philantrophy in Canada is commonly can be realized within a few years. fourth from donations. The other rewarded with generous tax benefits International groups such as the fourth comes from different groups and in this case also with a model of Highline Network make it easy to such as government grants, corporate co-ownwership. The details of this learn from each other’s practice and partnerships, event rentals and public-private arrangement are not share experiences, also concerning others, as well as interest earnings. easily accessible and might be worth finances. There are many iconic and Half of the budget is being spent in exploring. historic examples to learn from, from programming, visitors’ experiences Regardless of this lack of the Promenade Plantée in Paris, and facilities, marketing and transparency the plan is a great the temporary use of the Minhocão communication, and development. example of strategic urban expressway in São Paulo, to the The other half goes to staff, development. The rediscovery of celebrated Highline in Manhattan. administration and other overhead residual spaces around, on top of, or Dutch examples of this type are costs. underneath existing infrastructure often brought about in the public can be a gamechanger. Such sphere, such as Roel Langerak Park Lessons learned places are often difficult to develop in Rotterdam, which includes a The right money at the right time viably into real estate, but provide highway flyover area. Or semi-public, in the right place: The Bentway existing structures, even roofs, for as in the case of the Hofbogen, also Park obviously shows the power of public activity in terms of sports, in Rotterdam. The Corona crisis has philanthropy to accelerate a plan for culture, open air markets, fairs and made citizens and local governments something that a city desperately leisure. “You just need to find the very aware of inner city green spaces needs and wants. In the years before space.” The Bentway shows that and opportunities to increase them. the main donation by a wealthy landscape investment projects are Joining efforts with urban climate, couple in Toronto, a crucial role was not only possible in the usual green health and recreation programs played by a city planner who had areas outside of the city, but also in can help to realize new initiatives. warm connections with the city’s places where you would least expect The role of philanthropy is not very institutions and politicians. The them. The central location provides prominent in contemporary Dutch program is a striking example of opportunities to engage various culture. An older generation of joined forces between public, semi- urban communities, also those who philanthropic funds is still financing public and private entities; it also cannot donate money, but may have current projects, for example by combines subsidies with donations some time to spend in voluntary foundations such as Verre Bergen, on both national and international activities. which spends the yearly interest level (Highline Network). revenues on 20th century gifts of port- An interesting point that we couldn’t Potential related enterprises in Rotterdam. fully figure out is how the motivations There are many residual spaces How can we find and engage the of each party get to be accomodated waiting for better use and new generation of millionaires, for in the general goal of the initiative development. With the right physical example in tech and finance? and to what extent the outcome access, societal public/private benefits public or private interests. initiative and funding, a project
33 34 donations Peninsula Open Space Trust The Peninsula Open Space Trust (POST) is a donation platform that aims to buy natural land in the busy (and expensive) San Francisco Bay Area, and preserve it as a landscape network for the benefit of the different communities, the environment and the economy. Founded in 1977, POST protects over 31.500 hectares of permanent open spaces, farms and parklands in the areas of San Mateo, Santa Clara and Santa Cruz counties, in the San Francisco Greenbelt area that is very sensitive to urban sprawl. POST accepts donations from private individuals, companies, foundations and grants. Some big actors of the Silicon Valley are actively participating, such as HP, IBM, Google, Microsoft and Adobe. Apart from a green image, these companies also acknowledge the need for an attractive landscape as a location factor, in order to retain their highly contested knowledge workers.
Regional collaboration from 100 cities in 9 counties, and Besides POST, many other land the State of California. For the topic trusts are active in the Bay Area. of landscape specifically, there To achieve their goals, they all also exists the Greenbelt Alliance, typically set up partnerships with which monitors construction plans both public and private parties. The and other activities that might be Peninsula Open Space Trust has incompatible with the greenbelt managed to collaborate with the function. And there is the Open National Park Service, The Coastal Space Council, which promotes the Conservancy and the U.S Fish and conservation, accessibility, routing Wildlife Service. In the private sector, and educational/leisure activities in foundations of companies such as Bay Area landscapes. The Council the Hewlett Foundation, the Silicon network maintains thousands of Valley Community and the San kilometers of routes and supervises Francisco Foundation have joined. publicly accessible parks. When it The regional planning context of was established in 1990, land trusts the entire Bay Area (population 7 and public authorities were still million) is of great importance, in struggling, so the first activities were terms of landscape, transportation, to collaborate on better financing, urbanization and greenbelt policies. making regional maps and sharing Like the Netherlands and unlike tools and innovative methods. Paris or London, the Bay Area does not have one metropolitan Today, the Open Space Council has authority. The Association of Bay members from 65 public authorities, Area Governments (ABAG) currently small land trusts and national leaders includes public representatives in the field of landscape conservation.
Donation Peninsula Open Space Trust, An important capability of the land 1977 trust is to have enough liquidity at the moment when important areas of Type of organization: NGO land become available for purchase. Today, POST works on 11 project Landscape: metropolitan areas throughout the Bay Area, such landscape, greenbelt (agricultural, as farms, islands, ranches or beaches. forest, beach) These are supported by more than 6.000 donors. The publicly available Scale: +- 31.600ha financial reports state that POST’s capital and yearly budget have grown Contact: steadily in recent years. Their assets, https://openspacetrust.org/ half of which concerning investments and a third concerning land, grew Financing: private donations from $275 to $315 million between 2016 and 2019. Yearly revenue, most of which are contributions and grants and about a fifth comes from interest
35 36 donations
Silicon Valley. Photo: Jitze Couperus, Flickr CC, 2018 and dividends, grew from $31 to $32 Adapt the tax system to stimulate balance sheet is dwarfed. A single million. Of its budget, POST spends donation: The USA tax system allows one of those companies could easily 75% on programs, 16% on fundraising for more deduction of donations finance the entire greenbelt at once. and 9% on management and support. regarding for example land trusts. So it is clearly a matter of what we As soon as land is bought by POST, it This means that donating becomes can or should expect from private is protected. After a transition period cheaper for companies and citizens, companies in a certain context, as with the POST stewardship team the and that the government matches all consumers and inhabitants, and land is transferred to a public agency money spent on donations without what they expect from each other in for its permanent management. determining exactly on which that the regional competitive business money is spent (they trust the culture. Clichés have it that American Lessons learned donors). This is a big difference with companies and citizens donate Collaborate: preserving and the Dutch situation, where another more because their governments developing landscape structures of a type of accountability is expected don’t invest in common goods like certain scale in complex and dynamic from government spending and less landscape, and they have a more metropolitan areas is only possible opportunities are given for donations favorable tax regime to do so. This with the help of regional public and to guide landscape investment. is far too easy. California has a semi-public entities. Collaboration progressive government, both in with NGOs and other land trusts Potential terms of investing and taxation. Let’s for political and financial leverage, The numbers of the many land trusts make a comparison with the Dutch sharing of knowledge and experience, in the Bay Area are impressive at land trust Natuurmonumenten. In and agenda setting is necessary. first glance. But how can we judge 2017 individual donors raised €32 Public-private partnerships can their effectiveness and transport million to help conserve and manage create a more robust and resilient lessons to the Dutch context? The 107.000 hectares of land, while the financing for landscape. effectiveness in the Californian contribution by companies was only Combine interest: POST context is clear. At the current rate, €0,8 million. Big tech, big finance demonstrates how the conservation they will have the proposed greenbelt and big trade in the Netherlands are of natural and cultural heritage areas complete in a matter of decades. not sufficiently on board. can be combined with recreational On the other hand, if we take into and educational use of landscapes. account the accumulation of capital They also offer large companies a by big tech companies in Silicon way to invest in the local community Valley, who increase their stock value and improve their image and license by the billions each year, the POST to operate.
37 38 donations Regionalpark Rhein Main Frankfurt am Main is known as Germany’s financial capital, with its high-rise buildings, banks and airport hub. The region also offers beautiful landscapes, history and recreational opportunities. These qualities are preserved, developed and linked by the Regionalpark Rhein Main. The park was founded with the idea of protecting the open space between the urban areas in the Rhein Main agglomeration and improving the synergy between nature, agriculture and recreation. The idea of a regional park for the Rhein Main area originated in the early 1990’s. At that time, regional planning was primarily intended to limit urban expansions that would come at the expense of the landscape. This was accomplished by designing so-called green areas and strips to protect open spaces between settlements. Since then, many municipalities have joined the park organization. The budget of the park has had public and private contributions, including the Frankfurt airport operator company.
Metropolitan setting and organization Based on the idea of green strips, the concept for a regional park was develop by the regional organisation Umlandverband Frankfurt. Since 2005, the organisation Regionalpark
Ballungsraum Rhein Main has ‘rundroute’ www.regionalpark-rheinmain.de taken over coordination of the park. The Frankfurt Rhein Main the region is central to the design and Regional association has about 2,3 development of the Regional Park. million inhabitants spread over 75 Researchers recently concluded municipalities and an area of almost that Regionalpark Rhein Main is 25.000 km2. The Regionalpark is not appropriately institutionalized supported by 15 partners, including to serve as an effective regional 7 Landkreisen (districts) with 123 greenbelt, resulting in localized municipalities, the Regionalverband initiatives and the delegation of Frankfurt Rhein Main and the State greenbelt planning to municipalities of Hesse. (Mcdonald e.a., 2020). The area covered by these different partners counts more than 3 million Network inhabitants. Preserving and valorising The regional park is conceptualized the landscape as important quality of as a combination of networks: natural, cultural and recreational. Through attractive routes, forgotten parts of the regional landscape are Regionalpark Rhein Main, 1991 made accessible and perceptible. The route network guides visitors Type of organization: public through ancient rural landscapes, idyllic places, industrial heritage and Focus: metropolitan landscape important historic gardens and sites. The routes are designed with respect Scale: 25,000km2, 2,3 million for the local environment and nature inhabitants, 75 municipalities and in order to stimulate experiences of both young and old. More than Contact: Kjell Schmidt 200 projects have been realized so www.regionalpark-rheinmain.de far and the park’s route network extends over 1.250 km. Financing model: subsidies, annual contributions Read more: Sara Macdonald, Jochen Monstadt & and private investors (including Abigail Friendly (2020): From the Frankfurt greenbelt environmental compensation) to the Regionalpark RheinMain: an institutional perspective on regional greenbelt governance, European Planning Studies
39 40 donations
Regional Park Rhein Main. Photo: Sergei Gussev, 2019 - Flickr CC
Lessons learned Regionalpark Rhein Main is as Schiphol Airport become partners financially supported by 15 partners, in landscape development projects. including 7 Landkreisen (districts, including 123 municipalities), Potential the Regionalverband Frankfurt The Regionalpark Rhein Main is an Rhein-Main, and the State of example of strong conceptual scaling Hesse. Each shareholder pays an and landscape network planning. annual contribution of €75.000. In After a few decades, the area already addition, the organization receives includes many designated natural a State subsidy of €150.000 and and cultural landscape entities, contributions from third parties. including the Frankfurt greenbelt. Photo: Sergei Gussev, Flickr CC, 2018 Frankfurt Airport is the largest It is questionable wether this would supporter of the Regional Park, have been possible without such a with an annual contribution of strong public initiative. It seems that €800.000 and a total amount of 17 it is possible to engage important million invested by 2019. The annual private economic actors in landscape spending in projects has been around investment, such as the airport, as €2,4 million. long as the laws stimulate or require this. An additional factor has been, An important factor in the that because of the airport extension development of the park, is the and noise pollution, the company German environmental law, which has had an incentive to invest in requires the responsible actor a regional license to operate, a to compensate for green space good image. Furthermore, as Kees destruction. In this case, the Christiaanse concluded in his book extension of the airport has yielded Noise Landscapes (2017), airports large investment in the Frankfurt and large landscape projects share a Greenbelt and the Regional Park. common goal and enemy: they need Recently, however, the airport has to contain urban sprawl in order to announced to reduce the contribution maintain themselves. Developing to €400.000 in 2020 and withdraw the airport and landscape network as contributor altogether in 2021. In of the future should therefore be the Netherlands, similar legal and an integrated challenge in the strategic factors should be taken into Netherlands, including public and account, when large companies such private stakeholders.
41 42 donations Wij.Land The Netherlands looks quite ‘green’ on the map, but its ecosystem is heavily degraded. Biodiversity is dropping, especially in the countryside, while the peat soil in the West of the country subsides by roughly 1 cm per year and emits large quantities of CO2. Since 2017, Wij.land promotes the landscape restoration of the Green Heart and Dutch Water Line area (Nieuwe Hollandse Waterlinie), areas characterized by over-intensification of livestock farming. More than 7 million people inhabit the West of the Netherlands. Wij.land was founded by Commonland, an international organization based in Amsterdam that has initiated large scale international landscape restoration projects. Its philosophy includes four returns: inspiration and social, ecological and financial capital; and three types of zoning: nature, a combined zone of sustainable farming and ecological recovery, and an economic zone (including urban and business functions). The commitment to the landscape recovery is 20 years.
Linking learning to farming among individual farmers today, but The Dutch postcard landscape of the it is far from mainstream practice. peat meadows has been the subject Since the regenerative model of dozens of studies and visions, requires fewer external inputs of feed while few of them actually led to and pesticides, it is able to generate concrete action. Wij.land collaborates better and more reliable business with experts on topics such as soil, margins. Additionally, entrepreneurs herbs and nutrient cycles, who give can take advantage of these new advice to farmers. The next step is to resilient landscapes by offering other organize experimental pilot projects, landscape services to customers. in which learning and doing are combined, for example regarding Paying for transition herb mixes in the field, bokashi Two-thirds of Wij.land’s budget is fermentation of mowed grass and financed by philanthropic donors, worm compost. An important while the rest comes from subsidies result from the pilot projects is the and other governmental support. Regenerative Agriculture Model, in Three types of funding exist, which farmers produce somewhat depending on the project and the less milk with a different type of phase in which it finds itself. The landscape management. This model first supports the ‘kick start’ of pilot is continously improved by the projects and their operating (mostly farmers and experts, until it is proved costs for materials, machines and to be effective and viable. sometimes advisors). The second one But we will have to collectively Some is the Transition Fund and is ment proof-of-practice already exists to support farmers in transforming their farm from a conventional to a biological or regenerative farm. Often this support entails creating a new nature-business plan, together Initiative: Wij.Land (2016) with experts. The third fund targets the ground. More extensive farming Type of organization: Foundation requires sufficient land, and in the Netherlands, land is a costly Landscape focus: Dutch peat, business. Farmers can lease extra meadow land land through the ‘Grondfonds’ foundation with feasible prices, under Scale: 560 ha (2019), 58 farmers, resilient landscape management 70 pilot activities conditions. This ‘Grondfonds’ will be launched September 2020. Contact: Matthijs Boeschoten https://wij.land/ Lessons learned Combining challenges of greenhouse Financing model: private and gases, biodiversity, culture and the public funding earnings of farmers has worked very well to join forces of governments and private sector investors and entrepreneurs. Also the scale
43 44 donations
ambitions seem to help. Wij.land clearly aims to scale up, not only to make business models for farmers and entrepreneurs more reliable, but also to guarantee the landscape transformation. On the website the organization keeps track of several 5-year targets, which are usually met. The Commonland landscape restoration philosophy is explicitly aimed at large areas (Wij.land aims for over 1.000 hectares in 2022) and long-term commitment (20 years). There is a good notion about the risk that farmers can take. Landscape transformation does not come at the cost of goodwill of farmers, it can ‘Samen voor leefbare landschappen’. Website ‘Wij.Land’, Still from video happen because there is a financial safety net. The three different funds motivate and support the transformation process.
Potential How will this growth ambition work, financially? In 2020, the ‘Grondfonds’ plans to launch 15 million Euros worth of bonds on the financial market. Additionally, Wij.land explores the potential of carbon credit offset, it develops impact models to reduce financial risks of landscape investments, and promotes diverse and viable entrepreneurship. The carbon credit market remains uncertain for now, but expectations are high. Furthermore, the Corona ‘Van pachter naar partner’. Website ‘Wij.Land’, Still from video crisis has heated up the debate regarding the quality of our immediate surrounding landscapes, regional production chains, and upcoming entrepreneurial niches. In that light, the Dutch peat meadows may become a much broader provider of landscape services, while transforming its agricultural practice to become sustainable.
45 46 donations Landpark Assisië
The picturesque Landpark complex in Biezenmortel, a village close to the city of Tilburg, was the result of a large donation. In 1901 a woman, whose father had been nursed by local catholic brethren, decided to donate an area of 45 hectares including three farms to the church, to build the hospital Huize Assisië. In 1904 the first patients with a disability moved to the complex, where nowadays 220 people live, close to the Franciscan chapel built in 1908. Assisië also had a school for mentally impaired children between 1922-1980. Since 1996 Assisië became part of a larger care provider, Prisma. The current organization of the Landpark combines on the site an institute for mental healthcare and daily activities for those with mental disabilities, with an enterprise for leisure, hospitality and business meetings. The result is a lively yet tranquil village with great landscape quality, where literally everyone can feel at home and do inspiring work.
Landscape plan The business model The site of Landpark Assisië lies Health care is the most important near the nature reserve Loonse en economic activity. The interesting Drunense Duinen. It is part of the part of the concept, however, is the recently founded Van Gogh National overlap with the business meeting Park, a large area including various rooms, park management and cities of Brabant and landscapes restaurant, as the personnel consists where the famous painter worked. largely of (day)care and activity It is also part of Landscape park clients with a mental disability. Pauwels, whose masterplan (2017, Besides creating room for these Strootman landscape architects) individuals to participate in society, includes a variation of economic the concept provides leisure and and ecological functions and business users with a pleasant and landscape types, including water refreshing atmosphere. The income treatment sites, renewable energy, is a mix of fees from health insurance agriculture, nature and recreation. and other care payments, donations, The masterplan for the Landpark subsidies and business revenues Assisië area (2016, MTD) follows from hospitality and leisure activities. similar lines, featuring reuse of Several partnerships add non- heritage, retaining rainwater, monetary value to the model. Since recreational routes, biodiversity, 2016 the larger share of the more nature development and room for than forty building complexes on the artistic expression. The conservation site have a function for activities or and development of the landscape park management (instead of stay is an integrated part of the business facilities), increasing the livelihood of strategy of the Landpark, combined the village. with the care and leisure functions.
Initiative: Landpark Assisië, 1901
Type of organization:
Landscape focus: heritage village, forest and rural landscape
Scale: 57 ha
Contact: www.landparkassisie.nl
Financing model: private donations, public subsidies and business revenues from care and
hospitality Read more: https://www.prismanet.nl , https://www.josvdlans.nl/publicaties/PETER_ NOUWENS_40%20jaar_vooruit_minibiografie-spread.pdf https://www.vangoghnationalpark.com/ https://www.strootman.net/project/landschapspark-pauwels/
47 48 donations
’Een bijzondere buitenplaats’. Website: www.landparkassisie.nl, Still from video
Lessons learned Landpark Assisië shows the strength of long-term development in health care in combination with landscape. Their 110 year history demonstrates that these concepts can change to match the Zeitgeist, and that inclusive and social programs can have a place in the business world. Work and interaction between societal groups provides other non-monetary values as well. The success depends largely on good collaboration of health care provider Prisma with Greenport Midden ’Een bijzondere buitenplaats’. Website: www.landparkassisie.nl, Still from video Brabant, Common Ground / Studio Potential Assisië, Water board De Dommel The model of Landpark Assisië may and Brabants Landschap. There be suitable for many more heritage are also various partnerships with complexes in the Netherlands, local entrepreneurs, associations such as old courtyard monasteries, and initiatives. On the premises, churches and school complexes. The there is space for socially important potential for new attractive models businesses such as a thrift/charity of health (and elderly) care in an shop and maker space. ageing country such as ours cannot be underestimated. The institutes providing care for disabled or elderly are under great pressure and change rapidly according to new trends in lifestyle and care. Furthermore, broken contact with ill relatives during the recent Corona crisis has made people think about the place of care institutions in society and in our daily (urban) environment. ’Een bijzondere buitenplaats’. Website: www. landparkassisie.nl, Still from video
49 Koningshof, Utrecht - Seats4Silence mission: connect Utrecht with local healthy food (markets, events, workshops, films, debates)
Koningshof Utrecht - Location Seats4Silence, Facebook post may 2020
50 Case studies: crowdfunding
Seats4Silence SmaakPark Land van Ons
51 52 crowdfunding Seats4Silence
Seats4Silence, initiated by Eline van de Veen, is the green little sister of Seats to Meet (S2M). S2M focuses on meeting spaces in the knowledge economy. The S2M concept offers knowledge workers a free place to work, if you share knowledge with others. This creates campus-like environments, which can sustain commercial activities such as rental and catering of meeting rooms. Even though the business model of both S2M and Seats4Silence (S4S) is based on social capital, the main idea behind S4S is not to create the maximum of buzz, but rather to connect the urban hubs to a network of quiet outdoor working locations. S4S started in the Utrecht region, because of its busy center with natural surroundings. The population is very aware and interested in nature in general. The ambition is to restore the natural relationship between cities and the surroundings countryside, and contribute to lively outdoor areas and healthy city life.
‘De Seats4silence droom van Eline van de Veen’ uploaded on youtube by Jurjen de Vries, 2016
Small scale The success of the busy beehives of and healthy food. Entrepreneurs S2M in a way created the demand located outside the urban centers for the opposite: quiet workplaces to also need good networks, inspiration reflect and concentrate. S4S offers and customers that would like to these places in a natural setting, help them with landscape and nature but the exchange of values goes management. The urban/rural both ways. City dwellers need basic network of S4S aims to organize this things to remain healthy, such as network and contribute to landscape more contact with nature, silence and ecological upgrades in rural areas. The current S4S locations are Initiative: Seats4Silence, 2015 mainly small-scale and authentic in a green environment with a Type of organization: variety of possibilities. The hosts are Network organization involved in different ways in their environments and each have their Landscape focus: Plot and personal stories. Both hosts and environment upgrade guests must enjoy welcoming and reception, unexpected encounters, Scale: 20-25 hospitality places sharing knowledge and experiences throughout the Netherlands as well as working together. Building this new community is a Contact: Eline van de Veen, way to strengthen any company or https://seats4silence.seats2meet.com collective, whether it is a rural estate, an innovation incubator, a meeting Financing model: space, a B&B, a tea garden, a country Social capital shop, a care farm, a farm, a wellness company, etc.
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Seats4Silence location. Foto: Koningshof Utrecht, 2020
Experimental business model Lessons learned Potential From the above it is clear that S4S Broad values: there are many other The successful yet fragile example is mostly concerned about all other values than money that motivate demonstrates the demand for values, and not focused on a business people in both city and countryside. exchange of values between rural model per se. Throughout the years We have only just begun to explore and urban entrepreneurs, as well as and her different projects, Eline Van this. Being able to invest more money the demand for a network of quiet de Veen had the opportunity to build in the landscape, however, would be workplaces to escape from the buzz. a network of many different people desirable. Is it possible to scale up a It shows potential for landscape in the countryside. To organize S4S, network such as S4S? According to investment and transformation S2M offered Eline Van de Veen Eline van de Veen, a next step would on a small scale, without the the use of its website and other be to make this fragile business intermediating by planners and facilities, in exchange for her network model more effective and profitable governments. It also showed the of rural hosts. Eline matches hosts for all parties. Despite her strong highly personal and customized and guests, many times online. It is personal connection with the 20-25 nature of the current network of a very small and customized form hosts throughout the Netherlands, S4S. With the right type of incentive of entrepreneurship. The core of she believes a third party could (financial, fiscal and legal) from the current model is the value the reinforce the network and make it the government side, the quality of host could share with (or sell to) the more attractive. This third party could diverse hosts could be facilitated. community of knowledge workers. manage greater groups of guests A great challenge in any scaling up of Depending on their expertise, it and hosts, and take care of all kinds this model would be to maintain this could be hospitality, farm products of logistic issues, so that the hosts informal trust and these landscape or something specify to their yard. themselves could continue focusing goals, while larger overhead costs The guests can work in a comfortable only on their original practices and would need to be paid to a third quiet place, concentrate and get the availability of connected services. party. Another challenge might be inspired. They are generally willing to Network of Trust: the current S4S to avoid the risk of this network consume and pay for extra services network is totally based on trust and becoming another extractive AirBnB like food. To increase visibility personal exchange rather than profit. or Uber scheme. and to communicate, most hosts The hosts and entrepreneurs in the use Facebook next to the S4S network generally do not have the website. By hosting and sharing ambition to increase their property, their locations, hosts can generate but rather wish to help conserve extra revenue, from selling lunches, and upgrade the property they coffees, pies, services or even a good already own, in terms of heritage and review on internet. ecology.
55 56 crowdfunding Smaakpark
Christian Weij (food designer, author of fermentation cookbooks Verrot Lekker and Verrot Healthy) and Petra Busser (nutrition coach and diabetes nurse) have a passion for tasty, honest, sustainable and healthy food. For ten years, their company Puur-e prepares and serves good food, organizes workshops and festivals, and develops recipes and food concepts. In recent years however, they have been receiving more and more questions from their clients about the food that was served: where and how can they obtain these regional products, how to prepare them and what do to with leftovers. This gave them the idea for a place for people to ask these questions and – better still - to discover and experience the answer themselves: SmaakPark.
Concept development The couple developed this idea further with the municipality of Ede, on the location of the former Maurits military base. Good nutrition is important for the municipality, for obvious health reasons but also due to their position within the FoodValley region, connected to the Photocollage: crowdfunding campaign Wageningen university and research SmaakPark campus nearby. The Smaakpark project measures 7.000 m2 and is organized around a food hall, including cooking studio, demo kitchen and bar. There is also space for other culinary entrepreneurs. The surrounding land is leased from the municipality of Ede and is intended as a picking garden, but also the location of two bed & breakfasts, underground greenhouses (using Photo: website SmaakPark, 2020 LED light) and experimental tower structures for new systems of food production.
Initiative: Smaakpark, 2020
Type of organization: Event location
Landscape focus: Food production, historical areas
Scale: 7,000m2
Contact: Christian Weij, https://smaakpark.nl/
Financing model: Private investments and crowdfunding
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Crowdfunding Christian and Petra had organized the means to acquire the property and land for the project, at an amount of over a million Euro. To furnish the building, convert the garden into an inspiring park and pay for part of the renovation however, they counted on crowdfunding for the necessary € 225.000. If the crowdfunding campaign would raise more, the future owners would additionally build innovative earth greenhouses, aquaponics farms and sustainable B&B units. The crowdfunding campaign was organized through the platform CrowdAboutNow (https://crowdaboutnow.nl/). On this platform, individuals and companies are able to invest at least € 500 in the form of a loan. The investment is returned via CrowdAboutNow in seven years with an yearly interest of 4,5%. On top of that, Christian and Petra offer rewards such as a first stay in one of the B&Bs, ownership of a fruit tree and star chef dinners. (Kook) Workshops. Photo: website SmaakPark, 2020
Lessons learned Potential Mix and change functions over time: The crowdfunding platform gathers throughout the process, Smaakpark a greater group of stakeholders will have various sources of income, with different financial capabilities such as cooking workshops, bed and creates interest and financial & breakfast, food and drinks, and gain for all parties. The interest catering in the food hall. All spaces rate, much higher than a Dutch will also be available to rent for savings account, may motivate many parties, meetings, weddings and stakeholders to participate to this presentations. The strategy is to project, even if they do not have a make all spaces as multifunctional direct link with the landscape. Could as possible, in order to achieve a high it be possible to raise funds for occupancy rate. other landscape projects this way, even if these are less commercially driven than Smaakpark? And could more funds be raised targeting landscape-minded stakeholders with a combination of reasonable interest rate and higher landscape investments?
Still from video ‘Al 54% gehaald... wow!’ uploaded on Facebook by Chris&Petra, january 2020
59 60 crowdfunding Land van Ons
The Netherlands consists for two thirds of agricultural land. Different from other land trusts, Land van Ons focuses on the ecological value of this cultural landscape instead of the well-known nature reserves. Land van Ons is a cooperative with almost seven thousand citizen members (per July 2020). The aim is to create a new ecological main structure for the country, besides the existing Nature Network Netherlands, of ca. 300 thousand hectares of sustainably managed agricultural land. The land that is purchased by Land van Ons remains available for agriculture, but not for distribution centers, solar arrays, and intensive farming.
New kid on the block Financial arrangement Jaap Benschop and Frank Remerie Land van Ons is a cooperative founded Land van Ons in the fall with limited liability, which means of 2019, with the simple idea that members are not held accountable the Dutch landscape belongs to in the event of bankruptcy. The daily all, and a new type of stewardship organization of the cooperative is is needed to keep the cultural performed by a professional team, landscape ecologically vital. The idea hired from the membership fee of went viral and by December 800 €10 per year. All members have an members had registered. In March equal vote when they approve the 2020 the first parcel of 8 ha was budget and annual accounts. In purchased. The selection of parcels order to involve the members in the has a geographic spread across day-to-day affairs, they can apply the country and is approved in the for a position in a multi-member digital member assembly. The land board. Throughout the year, this is leased to farmers under special board is the point of contact for the conditions, for example that chemical director. toxins and fertilizers, injection of Besides the annual fee, members manure, and monoculture of grass deposit at least €20 per year are not permitted. The desired land for land purchases. 95% of this management includes the restoration amount is directly converted into of hedges, wood ramparts and soil square meters of land labeled to quality, as well as the practice of this member, while 5% is held for crop rotation. Scientific research is the accumulation of equity of the performed on the lands to measure cooperative. Membership is for a and monitor the qualities and long- minimum of two years and in this term effects. same period it is not possible to resell your land share. This equity buffer is meant for incidental setbacks or, for example, to be able to purchase a parcel of land early. Land van Ons explicitly states that Initiative: Land van Ons, 2019 members shouldn’t see it as land speculation and the cooperative Type of organization: cooperative does not guarantee the land value. The returns aimed for are Landscape focus: (agri)cultural ecological and cultural. The price of land agricultural land in the Netherlands lies roughly between €6 and €9 per 2 Scale: 50 ha, with the ambition m . To make it as fair as possible for of reaching 300.000 ha everyone, Land van Ons works with annual average purchase prices. Contact: www.landvanons.nl
Financing model: private membership fees and investments combined with donations and public subsidy
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Land van Ons. Website: https://landvanons.nl/
Lessons learned Land van Ons proves it is possible to invest in landscape as a group of citizens, without the necessity of subsidies (they do use them when possible however). Compared to existing land trusts, the media presence and digital organization are refreshing. The ideas and early achievements have roamed the social media and the website makes it possible to manage membership and land purchases easily, logging into Land van Ons. Website: https://landvanons.nl/ ‘Mijn Grond’. It is also possible to give Potential a two-year membership plus a few It seems early to assess the scale square meters of land to someone of the initiative, while it is still in as a present. These functionalities its initial growth spur. In a recent might explain the quick growth of member assembly, the maximum the initiative, while traditional nature yearly deposit was raised from organizations struggle to attract €2.000 to €20.000 and in some (young) members. Another possible cases €50.000 per member. This success factor is the explicit focus indicates a larger than expected on agriculture, an urgent topic in growth rate. The goal of 300 many public debates involving the thousand hectares is ambitious. If it environment in the Netherlands. is achieved, Land van Ons will be a By participating in the cooperative, major land owner and player in the you show you want to cooperate in spatial-environmental planning in the helping to restore Dutch biodiversity Netherlands. One question might be and landscapes. It is concrete, wether a company would want to and tangible and visible. should be able to join the cooperative. The initiative focuses on citizen members ‘of flesh and blood’, while also companies might have good reasons to support biodiversity, as part of their corporate responsibility strategy, marketing or intrinsic company values. Additionally, they may have reasons to target some problems of for example CO2 and nitrogen emissions specifically.
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‘Boerin Katinka’. Website ‘Boeren van Amstel’, Still from video
64 Case studies: business model
Arctic Paper - Munkedals Boeren van Amstel Verstegen Spices & Sauces B.V. Park-inclusive development
65 66 business model Arctic Paper On a site where the Orekil River joins Gullmarn Fjord, and where monks used to fish salmon, the Arctic Paper Munkedals company was founded in 1971. It is one of the most spectacular nature areas on the west coast of Sweden and receives many visitors. For many years, the environmental impact of the paper mill remained unnoticed. In the 1960s, when the river water became turve and the fish population started to decline, it became obvious for the company that the emissions from paper production were a threat to the environment. After this wake-up call, the mills of Arctic paper were among the first to take long-term ecological measures. The company now invests in the landscape of Orekil and Gullmarn.
Arctic Paper factory in Munkedal. Photo: Bjoertvedt, CC Wiki 2016
Changing production processes more than 4 liters of water are used Since 1966, the pulp production, to produce one kilogram of paper, which is the most polluting part while 10-15 liters are common in of the paper production process, other companies. The mills employ is realised by another company, approximately 300 people and Rottneros. Great effort has gone into produce 160.000 tons of paper, dealing with cleaning and re-using of which 88% is exported to e.g. processed water, in order to minimize Germany, France and the Benelux negative environmental impact. The countries. purification process can be observed by customers and school groups High quality paper & inspiring at the Environmental Centre in landscape Munkedals. The exhibition hall stands Arctic Paper is a leading European next to the large ponds that form producer of high-quality graphic the final stage of water purification. paper. As a result of all the measures Arctic Paper Munkedals is now implemented, many qualities of the one of the most environmentally- fjord have regained their previous friendly paper mills in the world. The status. Gullmarn fjord is now a process is so self-contained that no place with lots of fish and clear air and water. Munkedal Skog & Event company has its head office in Munkedals, around 100 km Munkedals (Arctic Paper), 1966 north of Goterbord, and belongs to the same holding as Arctic Organization: multinational Paper. On their lands and forests, the company has developed three Landscape: forest, river and fjord unique meeting places. It also offers (south Sweden) tours and conferences. The idea is to make it possible for customers of Scale: 12.600 ha Arctic paper and other companies to experience the countryside and Contact: https://www.arcticpaper.com/ unique surroundings, together with the clean production facility. In this Financing model: Private way, both the paper and leisure/event investments, decentralized infrastructure become part of the production model and investments in Arctic business model. leisure and research.
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Munkedal. Photo: CJ Aka, Flickr CC, 2019
Lessons learned Potential It is possible to produced more It is hard to underestimate the impact sustainably, also in a traditionally of cleaner industrial production, polluting industry such as paper, in all sectors. Munkedal is part of and use this advantage to create a a trend of companies investing in better product, corporate image and new techniques and better land preserve the surrounding landscape. management. Arctic Paper has It is crucial, however, to remain been able to reduce waste and critical as government or project pollution over the years and has partners and look at the complete turned the Munkedal paper facility picture. In 2018, holding company into an inspiring showcase and Arctic Paper S.A. employs about leisure area. They have cleverly used 1.250 people with business activities these investments to broaden their in three mills. The Munkedal mill business model and create a good Munkedal. Photo: CJ Aka, Flickr CC, 2019 produces the smallest amount of corporate image at the same time. paper, and is used as landscape and Can this model be scaled up to sustainability showcase, while the include the entire production chain, mill in Kostrzn nad Odra (Poland) including their paper mill in Poland produces the most, followed by and pulp facility? In principle it is, if Grycksbo (Sweden). The company customers and governments demand head office is situated in Poznan enough chain transparency and (Poland) with a branch in Gothenburg landscape quality in those production (Sweden). Arctic Paper S.A. is a areas as well. majority owner of the Rottneros pulp With the complete picture in mind, producer, but does not report on its the environmental achievements environmental performance. of the paper company seem less impressive than they brand it. On the other hand, performance is still better than competing industries, and in time we will hopefully witness the adoption of the same environmental and landscape standards in the other locations.
69 70 business model Boeren Van Amstel
Boeren Van Amstel is an initiative of more than 20 different dairy farmers from the Amstelland area south of Amsterdam, known for meadow birds. The project started around 2015, when farmers faced a decreasing number of meadow birds in the area, while subsidies for nature management were insufficient. Thanks to the creation of a dairy cooperative and collaboration with NGOs and a large dairy company, the farmers were able to adjust their business operations and agriculture management for the benefit of the environment, and invest in their own production of milk, yoghurt and quark.
Meadow birds preservation in Amstelland Photo: Gertphotography Coevorden NL
Agricultural nature management management used to be The farmers only mow after the economically viable for farmers, breeding season and maintain a high because of the various subsidies water level on their lands. This also and other incentives from EU and contributes to a greater diversity provinces. Increasingly, farmers of herbs and grasses, ensuring the abandon agricultural nature insect population which is necessary management for various reasons: for meadow birds. The cows are the reimbursements have been released in the fields a bit later reduced, and the business economic than traditionally, allowing a longer circumstances have intensified breeding period for the birds. The (higher prices for milk, land and farmers are rewarded based on their animal feed). In addition, the province nature performance, monitored by decides whether or not an incentive Agrarische Natuurvereniging De package or subsidy becomes Amstel. A rigorous point system available for agricultural nature evaluates the variety of herbs and management in a specific area, while grasses according to each terrain. the plans of province and farmers are This kind of agricultural nature not always well aligned.
Initiative: Boeren van Amstel, 2015
Type of organization: cooperative
Landscape focus: peat land, meadow birds (...)
Scale: +-180ha, 21 dairy farmers
Contact: Wes Korrel https://www.boerenvanamstel.nl/
Financing model: subsidy and commercial investment
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New products, branding and Lessons learned Potential financing Collaborate: Extensive farming Boeren van Amstel demonstrates The farmers of the is necessary to attain the higher that entrepreneurs can join forces Bovenkerkerpolder, Amstelland ecological qualities, but this demands and develop new business models, Polders, Ronde Hoep and a much larger workforce. Farmer which can give financial return Holendrecht Polder decided to take a Wes Korrel: “a farmer can hardly take and invest in the Dutch landscape different stand to dairy farming and care of this by himself.” Cooperatives and the same time. The example founded the cooperative “Amstelgoed are a traditional and effective way to also makes clear that it is a risky Natuurzuivel”. The cooperative do this in rural areas. business and support is necessary unites farmers with the ambition to Start simple, take small steps: To be from (non)governmental subsidies make organic local products with on the safe side and get the most out and larger companies who share companies that are committed to of their investments, the farmers have the values of high-quality landscape the meadow birds protection in the made choices regarding what they and products. If we want this way of area. The cooperative was able to are producing. They decided to start working to scale up throughout the invest in its own factory, located in with only machines for milk, yoghurt Dutch countryside, the equivalent the municipality of Oudekerk. The and quark. Butter and cheese require of Friesland Campina and other factory became fully operational in additional machines and processes cooperatives may be needed in other September 2019. and might become viable in a next agricultural and processing sectors The selling of high-quality products phase. The break-even point of the too, such as the potato and fries such as milk, yoghurt and soon quark investments in the dairy factory is business, horticulture and flowers. Is - directly to the consumer, increases hoped to be reached after 2,5 years. that the case? And how transparent the profit margins of the cooperative. Soon they should be making profits are Friesland Campina and other The products are delivered locally on the dairy products. large companies with regard to in order to reduce the ecological Risks are unavoidable: The heavy their business strategies? When the footprint as well. loans for the investments and the financing is a hybrid of subsidies Spending by governments and plummeting dairy prices during and corporate support, who makes NGOs, however, is still necessary. the early Corona crisis may have the final decisions regarding the The regional landscape fund has a serious financial impact for the landscape? helped to finance the equipment farmers. The majority of their of the dairy factory, because these production goes to cafés, restaurants investments fit the fund’s ambitions and grocery stores, which are to stimulate nature-inclusive suffering from constraints at the agriculture. The province of North- moment. Holland and the EU also made a subsidy available. The Netherlands Bird Protection Association supports the project, as well as Wij.land (see Donations), which helped with the financing of the factory, it’s structure and marketing. In the past, the farmers would supply 100% of their milk to Friesland Campina. Today, they still collaborate with the Dutch company for 70% of their milk production, while the other 30% go to the cooperative. This Eerste yogurt geleverd! flexible attitude of Friesland Campina Photo: Boeren Van Amstel ensures the farmers a safe revenue boerenvanamstel.nl despite the financial risks taken for their cooperative’s investments.
73 74 business model Verstegen Spices & Sauces B.V.
As a family-based company, Verstegen Spices & Sauces focuses on long-term business continuity. They direct many of their investments towards quality and sustainability, in order to remain competitive in the market of the future, including ever more aware and demanding customers. This explains why they attach so much importance to transparent, ethical and sustainable production chains. In 2011 the company initiated a new project for white pepper production in Bangka, Indonesia. In 2018 Verstegen added an agro-forestry project, based on trust, knowledge exchange and experience with a supplier located in Indonesia. Indonesian pilot project are also monitored, which is a Indonesia is a great location for white great asset in quality control and pepper production and this is the accountability. place where Verstegen has been getting most of its white pepper Safe business model supply from. To increase efficiency Verstegen used the financial and social as well as ecological support of (inter)national sustainability, a subsidized project governmental subsidies such as was started in 2011, to establish GIZ, DHI and RVO, among other a more fruitful and respectful funds, to establish a new 50/50 relationship with the local farmers. A contract with a supplier on the smaller agroforestry project started pilot project site. The investments in 2018 with suppliers and ReNature, risks and profits are equally and is still under development. Agro- shared between Verstegen and forestry of white pepper turns out to the Indonesian supplier company. be a sustainable, fair and efficient The collaborating farmers in the production method, which is also Verstegen agro-forestry project more profitable than traditional become direct suppliers of the mono-culture. An existing plantation Dutch company, which ensures from a supplier was turned into an them a higher and safer income. agro-forestry experimenting site, as well as an educational project for the Lessons learned surroundings farmers. By investing Multinational food production in geo-information, Verstegen and chains with sustainability, the supplier can keep on monitoring traceability and ethical values the project and making sure that the as well as financial viability are pilot crop would be as sustainable possible. They can be a good and efficient as possible. The geo- investment for a family business information data are shared through such as Verstegen, focusing on mobile apps and training events with long-term competitiveness and the surrounding local farmers. The quality. As a kickstart, subsidies are quality of soil, air, water and harvests often necessary for a large project, such as the 2011 pepper production project. Smaller projects, such as Initiative: Verstegen Spices and the agroforestry project of 2018, Sauces, Supplier and ReNature, can be started by the company and 2011/2018 its suppliers, without subsidy. Value loops: In a clever loop of Type of organization: consumer desires, ethical and limited liability company sustainable ambitions of the company, shared risks and costs Landscape focus: with a supplier, and a safe pilot Indonesian agriculture environment for over 2.000 pepper farmers, Verstegen Spices Scale: managed to develop a production Indonesian rainforest chain that brings quality pepper
Contact: Gilmee Davids
Financing model: subsidies and private investors
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Agroforestry Indonesia. Photo: CIFOR, Flickr CC, 2013 to the Netherlands and invests in might reach out to public funding the rainforest landscape of Bankga, again, or even micro-financing of the Indonesia. After nine years, the pilot Indonesian farmers themselves. plots produce containers of white Would this kind of agroforestry work pepper each month. The longer it in the Netherlands and the Dutch works, the more farmers are getting landscape? In terms of cultivation, curious and want to join the agro- why not? It’s perfectly possible to forestry process. grow herbs and garlic in our climate and soil. The Dutch legal structures Potential and land use efficiency, however, How scalable is this production make it difficult to adopt a similar method? Instead of land ownership, business model, says Verstegen. the business model is based on many Additionally, land use and ownership suppliers, a chain that stretches from are very fragmented here, while local farmers in Indonesia to the spice agroforestry requires an integrated factory in Rotterdam. This not only view on land management. Dutch reduces and spreads the financial farmers would lose certain (EU) risks for investments and costs, but subsidies when they start planting is also more fair and safe for local trees or opening their fields to the producers. Verstegen’s purchasing public, because agroforestry and power of big supplies, helps to create eco-tourism are not designated land the stability. The steady income use types in the Dutch and European from the pepper farms allow for planning system. Something we may new experiments with other spice need to reconsider, also because cultivations. The agroforestry pilot producing more garlic, onion and soy is still small, but has the ambition to in nearby sites or countries, would grow towards a similar 2.000 or more reduce carbon emissions. farmers. For this growth, Verstegen
77 78 business model Park-inclusive development
Utrecht is one of the most centrally located and fastest growing regions in the Netherlands, with hundreds of thousands of housing units planned to be built until 2050. It is also a region of iconic landscape areas, ranging from typically Dutch peat meadows and 17th century estates to the forests and hills of the National Park Utrechtse Heuvelrug, which is annually used by over three million people. In the current situation, planners struggle to find suitable and available locations for these housing units, while landscape managers struggle to find sufficient funds to develop and maintain the landscape areas. Park-inclusive development intends to solve these two problems by connecting them strongly in a paradoxical concept: strengthen nature by development.
A sensible but paradoxical concept in the vicinity already become more In the financing of landscape, the and more part of the national park by costs and the benefits are usually clever vegetation strategies, focusing not fairly shared. Some home- on public space and private gardens owners for example enjoy a rising (initiative ‘Heuvelrugtuin’). This value of their property when a park links closely to the idea of nature- organization or government invests inclusive design of new buildings and in a landscape project. So the idea of infrastructure. coupling development of cities and The focus of Park-inclusive landscapes makes sense, but the idea Development is on spaces around, is bound to raise suspicion. How can not within, the National Park. we strengthen the landscape in the Landscape investments and raised region, while ‘consuming’ it at the awareness around the park are same time by building houses? establishing green ‘fingers’ and other To achieve the most robust park connections to the park, thereby development and the financial increasing the area of influence of the flexibility that is needed to spend park. more on landscape in the housing area itself, housing projects need to be of a considerable size and density. Something that especially the suburban municipalities find difficult, as it goes against their self-image of a village community. At the moment, existing housing areas
Initiative: Park-inclusive development, 2018
Type of organization: think tank
Landscape focus: national park Park-inclusive development. Photos: Martine Sluijs Scale: region Contact with Think Tank and advisors: Martine Sluijs (PIP), Janine Caalders (NP Heuvelrug), Jasper Kuipers (Staatsbosbeheer), Sander Jansen (Zeist), Merten Website: Nefs (Deltametropool), Paul Roncken (Utrecht), www.np-utrechtseheuvelrug.nl Walter Kooy (advisor), Bertus Cornelissen (Utrecht) and Theo Stauttener (Stadkwadraat)
Financing model: private Read more: https://deltametropool.nl/nieuws/ donations, public subsidies and parkinclusief-ontwikkelen/ Ring ring ring ring! Ringpark Magazine business revenues from care and https://www.np-utrechtseheuvelrug.nl/nl/ hospitality Heuvelrugtuin
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Park-inclusive development. Photo: Martine Sluijs
Think tank The National Park Heuvelrug, owned storage, health care and large Potential by 42 parties including the National recreational facilities. Some of these Many Dutch regions struggle with Forest Service (Staatsbosbeheer), ideas are currently still taboo for the same problems of scarce space faces a doubling of users until 2030, park managers and nature activists. for development on the one hand, while the budget already has a yearly The think tank proposes that the concerning the realization of housing, gap of 1,5 million (about 10%). To municipalities in the direct vicinity of renewable energy production etc., tackle this problem and explore the the National Park form a pact for joint and on the other hand insufficient idea of park-inclusive development, a spatial planning and financial models, budgets for landscape maintenance think tank was organized, including to avoid competition and random and development. Therefore, stakeholders from local and regional policy differences; that landscape solutions from the think tank for governments, park managers, quality is properly measured and park-inclusive development could be economists and land owners. Several monitored; that local initiatives and tested and applied nationwide. The cash contributions from direct use of land owners are involved; and that increased integration of planning the park are explored: charging for a new business models are tested. in the Netherlands – combining lookout tower, parking facility, food several spatial developments in the and drinks, advertisement billboards Lessons learned same area – makes the integration along large infrastructure, renewable The initiative of park-inclusive of nature and recreation an obvious energy, fees from pipelines, wood development shows the new choice. The legal context has adapted production, 5G antennas in trees, opportunities that emerge when to this new reality over the last a phone app to facilitate small we think in combinations of urban decade, including the preparation donations from visitors. The park is and natural landscapes, mixing the of the National Environmental Act, already attempting to engage cycling colors ‘red’ and ‘green’ on the map. so-called Business Development clubs to collaborate and contribute Red can pay for green, while green Zones, and the successful founding to a program of Cycling Forests. And can infiltrate the red so it becomes of many local energy cooperatives. it creates awareness among urban ecologically and visually part of a These options can be applied to dwellers through collaboration with larger park area. With such a large landscape as well, for instance as urban ‘sister-parks’, which become pallet of options, and limited means Nature Development Zones or Park part of the regional park network. and people to work with, the question Cooperatives. Collective models are also explored: is where to start, how to set priorities. green mortgage/loans/savings, An additional challenge is that legal green bonds and green VAT, tax and fiscal opportunities do not deduction for large donations, CO2 always match the ambitions of local and nitrogen compensation, water individuals and groups in the area.
81 Grenspark Groot-Saeftinghe recently established a collaboration with the Antwerp Port Authority. This company will invest in the recent park, which crosses the border between Flanders and the Dutch province Zeeland. The contribution will pay for landscape infrastructure regarding the typical brackish nature, under the influence of the tides in the Scheldt Delta, and concerning the development of new agricultural practices in these salty environments.
Read more: www.grenspark-groot-saeftinghe.eu www.vilt.be Grenspark Groot-Saeftinghe
Photo: Grenspark
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