Wij.land

About Wij.land

Wij.land is an independent Dutch initiative focused on building a resilient peat meadow landscape in the western Netherlands. It works directly with farmers and other system players to support the transition toward nature-inclusive agriculture, with practical experimentation and learning as its core method.

The organization positions itself as a bridge between the farmyard and the policy table. It aims to create solutions that work in practice at farm and area level, while also helping shape the policy, financing, and market conditions needed for wider change.

Core Values

• Practical learning: Wij.land emphasizes experimenting, learning by doing, and proving what works in real farm conditions rather than relying only on theory.
• Nature-inclusive agriculture: The organization promotes farming systems that work with nature, strengthen soil health, biodiversity, water systems, and resilience, and support healthy food production.
• Long-term transition: Wij.land takes a long horizon, describing its work as a generational effort and aligning with the Commonland philosophy of long-term landscape value creation.
• Collaboration: It consistently frames change as something built together with farmers, governments, financiers, chain partners, knowledge institutions, and other stakeholders.

Unique Aspects

• Focused peat meadow geography: Wij.land concentrates on the western Dutch peat meadow area, which it describes as about 125,000 hectares, making its work highly place-based.
• Large farmer network: The organization says it works with more than 400 farmers in its network, including around 150 farmers it works with hand in hand more directly.
• Commonland-inspired landscape approach: Wij.land references the Commonland philosophy of four returns over 20 years and three landscape zones as part of its vision for the area.
• Veenweidefonds: Its dedicated fund supports pioneering ideas with grants of up to €25,000, helping innovators test and implement new concepts in the landscape.
• Broad external support: Known supporters and financiers mentioned on the site include Postcode Loterij, Commonland, Gieskes Strijbis Fonds, Ministry of LVVN, Province of Zuid-Holland, Province of Utrecht, IUCN, European Union, Rabobank Foundation, Stichting DOEN, and others.