Willem Ferwerda is the Founder of Commonland, a global non-profit working to restore degraded landscapes using the 4 Returns framework—a replicable, holistic approach that delivers returns of inspiration, social, natural, and sustainable financial returns. Active in over 20 countries, Commonland partners with farmers, businesses, investors, governments and communities to regenerate ecosystems and strengthen long-term resilience.
Trained as a biologist and tropical ecologist at the University of Amsterdam and Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Ferwerda began his career in Latin America, working with smallholder farmers and conservation NGOs. From 2000 to 2012, he led the IUCN Netherlands office, launching large-scale grant programmes for rainforests, wetlands, and drylands, and co-founding business–nature dialogues in Europe and India.
In 2012, he developed the 4 Returns framework, inspired by the UN Ecosystem Approach, and founded Commonland in 2013.
After serving as CEO for over a decade, he transitioned in 2024 to a Founder role focused on policy, finance, and landscape advisory.
Ferwerda is Executive Fellow at Erasmus University, a member of the IUCN Commission on Ecosystem Management, and board member and/or advisor to initiatives such as 1T.org, Regen10, and 1000 Landscapes.
He is a recipient of several awards and joined the Rockefeller Foundation’s Bellagio alumni network in 2025 to work on a book on the emerging holistic landscape restoration industry.
