CEO-founder of Commonland an organization that is active worldwide in making system change practical through the restoration of large degraded areas using a holistic framework. From 2000-2012 he was director of IUCN Netherlands: topics managing large ecosystem grants programs and initiated an international business network of CEOs biodiversity. Between 1995 and 2000 he led the Tropical Rainforest small grants Program at IUCN Netherlands. In 2012, Ferwerda developed the 4 Returns Framework for Landscape Restoration as common language and tool to make restoration happen at scale with all stakeholders. Ferwerda is chair of the Thematic Group Business and Ecosystem Management of the IUCN Commission on Ecosystem Management, Executive Fellow Business & Ecosystems at the Rotterdam School of Management-Erasmus University. He is board member of several organisations on nature, biodiversity food and agriculture. He received awards and led the Sustainable 100 of 2016 of Dutch people with the most influence on the environment and sustainability. Ferwerda studied tropical ecology, tropical agriculture and environmental sciences in The Netherlands and Colombia.
