Nature is vanishing at an unprecedented rate. Globally, one million species are threatened with extinction, and the health of the ecosystems we depend on is deteriorating more rapidly than ever. NRC Int. is a project developer of large-scale ecosystem conservation and restoration projects in East and Southern Africa. NRC In. actively restores nature and biodiversity on a large scale. We do this by replanting native trees, shrubs, and grasses. We also devise ways to bring wildlife back into nature that has been restored. However, in addition to restoring nature and ensuring the return of wildlife, NRC Int. develops business models that create opportunities for the local communities to benefit (financially). Several examples of how nature restoration can be combined with revenue-generating business models follow below: Restoration of savanna areas combined with a controlled rotational grazing management strategy, resulting in healthy grazing areas for livestock and wildlife Planting indigenous trees that produce fruits, nuts or other products that can be periodically harvested and sold Harvesting invasive plant species to produce biomass pellets or fire bricks Organising eco-tourism activities Setting up honey production collectives. What is of crucial importance is that the restored nature forms the basis of business activities so that the nature which has been restored can be of economic value to the local population. To achieve this, the business activities that have been developed should answer the following question and meet the following criteria: 1. What caused nature to be destroyed in the first place? The business activities should resolve this initial cause. 2. When developing suitable business models, the total value chain should be considered carefully, and the business activities that have been designed should fit perfectly into this value chain.
