Return on Ecology
Return on Ecology

We respond to disturbances in optimal land and enterprise performance by

  • establishing a data-based and relational understanding of the farm, project, enterprise or landscape (scientific, ecological, infrastructure, financial, economic, and social),
  • designing an integrated response, and
  • gathering the experts necessary to execute the development and management strategy,
  • within an iterative, relational feedback process.

A co-creative partnership with land managers is of the highest value to the RoE team. Our focus is on maximising returns at the ‘edges’: the wastes, the bare soil, the marginal land, the introduction of biodiversity into urban and agricultural activities.

We respond to disturbances in optimal land and enterprise performance by

  • establishing a data-based and relational understanding of the farm, project, enterprise or landscape (scientific, ecological, infrastructure, financial, economic, and social),
  • designing an integrated response, and
  • gathering the experts necessary to execute the development and management strategy,
  • within an iterative, relational feedback process.

A co-creative partnership with land managers is of the highest value to the RoE team. Our focus is on maximising returns at the ‘edges’: the wastes, the bare soil, the marginal land, the introduction of biodiversity into urban and agricultural activities.

VinEcology®, Olive-Ecology®, Citrus-Ecology®, Urban-Ecology®

We host and coordinate VinEcology®, a regenerative agriculture verification collective. The brand represents a group of farmers and technical experts who have been developing regenerative agriculture for over a decade. The collective facilitates a verification strategy that is rooted in relationship: co-development, creativity and collective mentorship. To qualify for verification and VinEcology® branding, a farmer needs to demonstrate activity in the core Regenerative Principles, and show progress according to a five-year plan developed with the guidance and approval of the collective.

  1. PRINCIPLE 1: regenerative soil & resource management
  2. PRINCIPLE 2: integrating animals
  3. PRINCIPLE 3: building biodiversity & ecosystem design
  4. PRINCIPLE 4: waste minimisation, treatment & circularity
  5. PRINCIPLE 5: social ecosystems
  6. PRINCIPLE 6: research and development 

Importantly, this verification process is not a bureaucratic check-box activity, but rather supports farmers and businesses in strategic planning and knowledge-sharing.

The farmer or business developer will have access to the RoE team to co-develop a 5-year plan, and will earn VinEcology® branding by meeting their own annual targets for ecological development. It is not performance driven, but contextual and developmental. They will contribute to the Knowledge Hub, and have access to this database, collaborative meetings and advisory expertise.

We are expanding first to olives, citrus and urban development.

The aim of the knowledge hub is to

harness the collective Urban and Agro-Ecology activities into a consolidated database.

Essentially, local regenerative activities are a nation-wide experiment. 

With coordination, the experiment can be captured. 

Return on Ecology maintains that data management is best in long-term relationship with local expertise and neighbouring pioneers. 

To ‘unveil’ the activities in each enterprise, the data must be trusted (databases) and the story must be attractive (communication).

 

The Knowledge Hub will host

1. a database with metadata, and

2. a searchable web interface, telling the story of each farmer or business.

Our advisory team will guide the collection of data for each regenerative activity:

  • the science (one to two relevant parameters),
  • the economics (one table)
  • the carbon (one table),
  • the narrative (one paragraph with the nuances of management) and
  • the contact details (facilitating connections).

The database and web interface is:

  • secure (protected, with multiple hard and cloud back-ups),
  • standardised (methodologies normalised according to international standards like Verra VCS),
  • sorted (meta-data),
  • independently audited,
  • aesthetically designed (for marketing and branding), and
  • categorised and labelled for easy searching.

It benefits local communities by connecting new practitioners to pioneers.

It benefits regenerative practitioners by marketing their activities with strong scientific foundations.

It benefits surrounding ecosystems by harnessing the data to build relationships, thus scaling individual activities into ecological biocorridors.

Return on Ecology’s Knowledge Hub is an attempt to turn competitive compliance into collaborative creativity.

Thinking like an Ecosystem

These short courses are the transfer technology linking on-the-ground lifetime knowledge of consultants with emergent land developers who are eager for ecosystems thinking. The Return on Ecology team is a mix of tertiary educators (local and international universities) and long-term pragmatic consultants. We focus on relational knowledge transfer.

The short courses cover the basics of land and resource management, under the umbrella concept of ‘Thinking like an Ecosystem’. These include:

  1. soil management,
  2. animal and crop management,
  3. water and waste management (farms and businesses),
  4. irrigation,
  5. fertilisation,
  6. pollutant control and remediation,
  7. the practical introduction of biodiversity to farming or landscaping of businesses (green roofs, innovative waste and water treatment engineering, wetlands, indigenous cover crops, animal herding, etc.),
  8. social development and cohesion,
  9. and many more.

Each course is run in-field over no more than two days, with a limited intake. We offer practical consultancy on the farm or at the enterprise as part of the course, if requested.

Development, Grant, and CSI Funds

Urban and agro-ecological development sometimes requires capital investments, for long-term returns.

In South Africa, the burden of experimental risks and capital investment are most often carried by the enterprise owner. However, ecological development is the collective responsibility of the consumer, governance and international development.

RoE develops projects on the principle that these activities are financially and ecologically beneficial to those responsible for activities, and for the society and ecosystems at large.

Local pioneering farmers and business owners have extensively invested in more responsible ecological practices. Thus, we are committed to mobilising funds to support their activities. Activities at the edges can require capital investments, before the returns are evident.

Return on Ecology is a registered non-profit company, allowing us to

1. mobilise development funds and academic grants, and

2. offer Section 18A tax receipts.

We match enterprise investment with development funds. This platform is mobilising Development, Grant and Corporate Social Impact (CSI) funds to support a number of emerging projects.

PROJECT COLLABORATION

Please see the Projects page for more information. We invite you to contact Return on Ecology for Project Feasibility Studies, or to express interest in participation. We are eager to other support other projects in land and waste management and urban development. We welcome new collaborations.

POSTGRADUATE STUDIES

Many of our team have long experience in postgraduate student development. We are associated with South African tertiary education institutions, including the Environmental Leadership Academy and Stellenbosch University. We offer project involvement for postgraduate students in regenerative development. 

Bring your story to our tableand let’s co-design your ecosystem strategies.
Bring your story toour table and let's co-designyour ecosystem strategies.

Return on Ecology is a registered non-profit company, offering Section 18A tax receipts | CIPC Registration number K2025312852

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