Fonds Natuurinclusieve Streekboerderijen

About Fonds Natuurinclusieve Streekboerderijen

Fonds Natuurinclusieve Streekboerderijen BV (FNS) is a Dutch initiative focused on helping farmers transition to nature-inclusive agroforestry and other nature-positive forms of regional food production. Founded in 2016 by agricultural economist Coen van Beuningen, it works with farmers and partner organizations on long-term change processes that aim to increase natural productivity and biodiversity while keeping farming economically viable.

FNS positions itself as a practical, systems-oriented fund and knowledge partner rather than a conventional producer. Its work centers on translating broad ecological goals into concrete farm-level actions, monitoring results over time, and supporting experimentation where existing knowledge is insufficient. The organization also states that it seeks to connect regional consumers and agricultural producers within the possibilities of the local ecosystem and market.

Core Values

• Nature inclusion: The fund’s stated mission is to reverse declines in biodiversity and natural productivity by working with ecological processes rather than against them.
• Circularity: FNS emphasizes closing nutrient and carbon cycles, especially carbon and nitrogen loops, as a core principle of its approach.
• Long-term stewardship: The organization focuses on multi-year change processes, careful monitoring, and farm-specific learning rather than quick fixes.
• Practical knowledge sharing: It aims to make knowledge usable for farmers by translating research and documentation into actionable measures and indicators.

Unique Aspects

• Founded with a clear ecological mandate: FNS was established in 2016 with statutory goals that include stimulating CO2 sequestration, minimizing fossil energy use and emissions, leveraging natural principles, and closing cycles.
• Own farm portal with ownership retained by the farmer: The software is maintained by FNS, but once completed the portal belongs to the participating farm and is only accessible with the farmer’s permission.
• Integrated monitoring approach: FNS combines satellite imagery, soil sampling, field observations, photos, and time-series analysis to track changes in biodiversity, biomass, and soil carbon.
• Partnership-based operating model: The organization works through collaborations with farms and named initiatives such as ReGeNL, BeeODiversity, and Scature, and it states an ambition to expand participation to 20 farms.
• Support for BoerInNatuur: Known news indicates that BoerInNatuur’s design is supported by FNS, reflecting the fund’s role as a hands-on development partner for agroforestry farms.