Kabirdham District - India
Commonland
Empowering smallholder farmers
Empowering Communities: A Vision for Sustainable Land Management.
In the semi-arid steppe Altiplano Estepario in Southern Spain, Commonland mobilizes local farmers, entrepreneurs and other stakeholders and embarked on an ambitious large-scale dryland restoration initiative to halt desertification and erosion and bring back prosperity using Commonland’s 4 Returns framework.
Creating a more regenerative future in the Altiplano Estepario, Spain
By 2034, the AlVelAl Territory is a regenerative landscape where nature and agriculture are in balance. An ecological corridor connects the region’s mountain ranges. Farms with both natural and productive lands form a mosaic of biodiversity hotspots, which act as stepping zones between natural areas. Rural abandonment is reversed as young people return and find new opportunities. The area continues to regenerate, led by a group of diverse, inspired local stakeholders.
“If we want to keep farming into the future, it needs to be done regeneratively. Every year we grow more and better: what we’re doing is the future of agriculture.” Maikel Lara Local Farmer within the AlVelAl territory
Pioneers in transformative restoration through the 4 Returns approach.
The Altiplano Estepario spans five districts at the intersection of Almería, Murcia and Granada, three provinces belonging to Spain’s southernmost region, Andalucía. It is a semi-arid steppe (a large area of flat unforested grassland) and transition zone between desert and Mediterranean forest. In this landscape, water has always been scarce. Despite these conditions, the area has been home to human settlements for centuries. The economy today is mainly based on agriculture. However, desertification and extreme climate conditions, combined with unsustainable land management practices that have reduced local biodiversity and climate resilience, make the AlVelAl Territory a challenging landscape for local communities.
We are an Association that unites farmers, livestock breeders, businessmen from various sectors, traders, researchers from universities and other institutions, as well as citizens with the same concern and vision for the future: to improve socio-economic, environmental and cultural conditions; to face current threats such as depopulation, desertification and lack of opportunities. In short, to build a more prosperous future for our land. Our goal is to restore the landscape by creating business cases that add value to local products and generate sustainable employment. At AlVelAl we are committed to positive change and the cohesion of territories with common historical and cultural roots such as the Altiplano de Granada, Los Vélez, the Alto Almanzora Noroeste de Murcia and Guadix.