Five Dutch provinces, two ministries, various nature and agricultural organisations and the Deltaplan Biodiversiteitsherstel foundation are working together to improve the quality of nature reserves. Within the ‘All4biodiversity’ programme, they are looking for opportunities for more natural management around nature reserves and are making an inventory of how this can be made possible financially and organisationally. The province of South Holland is leading the programme, which is made possible by a contribution from the European LIFE IP fund. Partners for Innovation brought the parties together and supervised the application for a contribution from this European fund. We are now carrying out the project management.

The Netherlands has a total of more than 160 Natura 2000 areas. These nature reserves have the highest possible protected status within Europe, because they contain special plants, animals or landscapes. Provinces must ensure – together with the central government – ​​that these nature reserves are doing well. In the Netherlands, many Natura 2000 areas suffer from disruption from the immediate environment, for example due to desiccation, fragmentation or an excess of nitrogen. When protecting nature reserves, partners from the surrounding area are also needed. That is why the provinces have involved the above parties to join forces through an area-oriented approach and collaboration.

Pilot projects

The ‘All4biodiversity’ programme has a total duration of six years and takes shape, among other things, through pilot projects spread across the participating provinces. Within these pilot projects, the area partners are looking for promising measures that they can take to increase the natural values ​​around a Natura 2000 area. In doing so, they are seeking to connect with other tasks such as soil subsidence and the climate issue.

Business models

It is important that the measures also offer a financial solution, so that there is a good future for farmers, recreational entrepreneurs and others. A lot of attention is therefore paid to business models for nature-inclusive agriculture and alternative earning models, such as the sale of regional products, innovative applications of agricultural crops or increasing the tourist offer. The learning experiences from the pilots are shared in a toolbox, so that they can also be followed up in other places in the Netherlands, but also beyond.

More information

Look here for more information about our activities around biodiversity, or project development & financing, or contact Francisca Demmendal-Wit or Peter Karsch.

Look here for more information about this project.

With this project we contribute to the following Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations: