Healthy Dutch Caribbean Islands : Nature conservation, business improvement and a resilient community by an integral approach : final summarizing report

Summary

This report summarises the findings of the PPS project "Healthy Dutch Caribbean Islands – Nature conservation, business improvement and a resilient community by an integral approach," which was conducted on St. Eustatius between 2021 and 2025. The project's objective was to develop resilient and sustainable business models strongly linked to nature conservation, with a view to addressing the island's ecological challenges and fostering a nature-inclusive economy. The ecosystem of Sint Eustatius is under threat from a number of factors, including declining coral reefs, overgrazing, unsustainable fisheries, the climate crisis and waste management issues. These environmental challenges have a negative impact on the economy, particularly tourism, which faces a significant decline in the coming decades. The central question guiding the project was: "Which socially acceptable and economically feasible solutions for a nature-inclusive St. Eustatius can be implemented?" This question was broken down into sub-questions addressing nature inclusiveness, social acceptance, and economic feasibility. The project utilised an applied research approach, with a focus on the development of novel sustainable business models. The Bolk model for Positive Health and Living Environment, in conjunction with the Wageningen Economic Research approach and a "canvas" approach for business model design, was employed to identify local needs, desires, and the positive qualities of all involved actors (nature, people, organisations). For this purpose, workshops were conducted with stakeholders to gather input, with each business case including a leader, stakeholders, a subject, and a financially positive perspective. The project faced several challenges, including the COVID-19 pandemic, cultural differences, limited local entrepreneur participation in workshops, the reorganization and closure of CNSI (a consortium member), and the departure of a key government contact. The project progressed through four phases, aligning with the work packages. Key results included stakeholder mapping, ecological and economic assessments, social assessments, workshops using the Bolk model, in-depth solution assessments, business model canvas development, and pilot implementation. Two practical business cases were developed: sustainable livestock farming (fodder production) and a Nature Awareness Festival. Two additional explorative cases were also pursued: a tourist tax for environment, agriculture, and fishery, and a marine systems case. The fodder production case addresses overgrazing by promoting the production of high-quality fodder, reducing the need for roaming livestock, and allowing for natural vegetation recovery. The pilot involved planting different fodder types and selling the harvest to livestock owners. Nature Awareness Festival: (Details to be added) While the project aimed for four practical business cases, it successfully developed two, along with two explorative cases. The Bolk model proved valuable for its structured approach and stakeholder inclusion. Combining it with the Business Model Canvas strengthened the process. The fodder production pilot shows promise for collaboration between livestock owners and farmers and offers a potential alternative to imported feed. The project generated numerous ideas, but not all translated into viable business models. The Bolk method, in combination with the canvas model, is ready for implementation on other islands. Scaling up requires attention to policy organization, a clear vision for nature-inclusive models, stakeholder participation, resource availability, careful planning, and learning from this project's examples. The report also highlights the CANVAS approach, its results, and conclusions. Specific recommendations for each work package task, including dissemination, roadmap creation, and policy advice are included in separate deliverables.