By Abbas Nazil
Ecosystem Restoration Communities (ERC) and Earth Allies Restoration Network (EARN) have partnered to enhance efforts in reversing ecosystem degradation, improving food security, and promoting sustainable agriculture.
These two global organizations, both deeply committed to grassroots-led environmental and community restoration, have combined their expertise and resources to accelerate impact across multiple regions, particularly in Africa.
ERC, a worldwide movement of community-led restoration initiatives, has been transforming degraded landscapes into biodiverse and economically sustainable ecosystems since 2016.
Meanwhile, EARN has been working across various countries, equipping local farmers and organizations with the knowledge and tools necessary to transition from conventional agriculture to regenerative practices.
This alliance seeks to amplify these efforts by integrating expertise, education, and funding mechanisms to create long-term environmental and social benefits.
One of the key aspects of this partnership is knowledge sharing and training.
EARN’s partners will now have access to ERC’s vast online knowledge hub, educational materials, and networking platform, allowing them to connect with experts and fellow restoration practitioners.
At the same time, ERC communities will benefit from EARN’s hands-on permaculture and restorative agriculture training, beginning in East Africa.
This mutual exchange of expertise is to provide farmers and local organizations with practical solutions to enhance soil health, restore biodiversity, and improve agricultural productivity.
In addition to capacity-building efforts, the partnership is to strengthen impact measurement.
ERC’s established Monitoring & Evaluation Framework and data collection tools will be made available to EARN farmers, helping them track ecological and social improvements over time.
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Furthermore, Mainsprings, EARN’s regional training hub in Tanzania, will offer capacity development programs to ERC members, ensuring that restoration initiatives are backed by solid training and organizational support.
Another major focus of the collaboration is joint fundraising and expansion.
By working together on fundraising efforts in the United States and Europe, ERC and EARN aim to secure resources to support large-scale ecosystem restoration and community empowerment projects across Africa.
This financial collaboration will help scale out their work, bringing regenerative agriculture and ecosystem restoration to more regions in need.
Chris Gates, Co-Founder of EARN, emphasized the natural alignment of both organizations’ missions.
“Once we realized how strongly our missions overlapped, forming a partnership to align our work was a natural decision.
Our shared ethos of empowering local people with the resources, support, and knowledge they need to lead thriving communities in flourishing ecosystems makes this a powerful collaboration.”
Pieter van der Gaag, Director of ERC, highlighted the importance of cooperation in achieving long-term restoration success.
“Just as ecosystems thrive on interconnectedness, we believe in collaboration over competition.
By working together, we can ensure sustainable livelihoods for local communities while restoring the planet.”
With a shared commitment to grassroots-led solutions, this partnership represents a major step toward addressing global environmental challenges.
By fostering community resilience and ecological restoration, ERC and EARN are uniting to create a sustainable future where people and nature can thrive together.
