Designing with Nature: Holistic Environmental Solutions

We design ecological systems-thinking into 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 design ecological systems-thinking into 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 knowledge-sharing brand.

We do not audit or implement purely academic studies. Rather, we contextualise data for management, marketing and communication. This knowledge hub was first developed in viticulture because the wine industry has been an early adopter of regenerative agriculture.

However, we are expanding across the olive, citrus and fruit industries and into urban development.

Psychology, experiences and desire

Return on Ecology is passionate about creating experiences to revitalise industry and stir desire.

VinEcology Meanders:

Camino experiences that allow tourists to slow down with wine and ecology, and reflect on their own integration with ecosystems thinking.

Inter-industry Tables:

Opportunities for the fruit and grain industries to learn from the early adopters in viticulture.

Cellars & Distributors:

Collaboration with bulk distributors to support regional transitions.

There is an ecosystem of small business development necessary to support producers.

Mobile abattoirs:

For the ethical slaughter of regenerative meat.

Share-a-Cow models:

For the distribution of high-density grazing amongst neighbours.

Farm the Fence-lines:

For the coordinated lucrative & ecologically-informed development of the ‘edges’.

Thinking like an Ecosystem

IMPLEMENTATION PROJECTS

Urban and agro-ecological development needs capital investment, 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 us all.

Return on Ecology is a registered non-profit company, allowing us to mobilise development funds and academic grants, and offer Section 18A tax receipts. We match enterprise investment with development, grant and Corporate Social Impact funds.

POSTGRADUATE STUDIES

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