Meet Mallorca…

In the heart of the Mediterranean, Mallorca is the largest of Spain’s Balearic Islands.

From terraced olive groves and dense forest to coastal dunes, cliffs, and seagrass meadows, Mallorca’s ecosystems are remarkably diverse.  

Tourism drives the economy here, but it also places immense pressure on the land, water, and cultural heritage. Decades of mass tourism, urban development, and industrial agriculture degraded Mallorca’s land, polluted field and coastline, and disrupted the Island’s once rich biodiversity.  

Restoration efforts

In response to these issues, a coalition of local partners is now working to regenerate landscapes and change the island’s relationship with the industries degrading it. 

Alianza Mar i Terra (the Mallorcan land and sea alliance) brings together local partners working to regenerate Mallorca’s terrestrial and marine ecosystems and the human communities that inhabit them, through a holistic and collaborative approach. The alliance is building a landscape plan for Mallorca that tackles degradation holistically, in collaboration with landowners, businesses, and communities across the island. 

The goal? To channel collaboration and funding toward ecotourism, local food systems, and agricultural resilience. 

Commonland is supporting the alliance as a catalyst and capacity builder, to strengthen their collaboration, governance, and strategy.  

Key challenges & opportunities

Challenges:

• The rate of climate change (20% higher in the Mediterranean than elsewhere in the world)  
• Extreme pressure from mass tourism on natural resources and local culture
• Lack of collaboration and coordination among organisations on the island (despite working towards similar goals)
• Lack of human & financial resources required to upscale the alliances impact
• Industry siloing 

Opportunities:

• To restore land and seascapes as interconnected systems
• Develop new regenerative business models that bring revenues to local communities;
• Including eco-tourism models that allow outsiders to support landscape restoration 
• The education and stewardship efforts of the organizations are already very strong with active ongoing projects
• Hotspot zone in North Mallorca with strong Alliance presence could become a focal point for attracting resources and amplifying impact

Vision for the landscape

The Alliance’s vision is to shift Mallorca from an extractive model to one rooted in regenerative living. 

Ecotourism, sustainable farming, and local food systems will work together to support both the economy and ecosystems. 

By bringing people, nature, and the economy back into balance, Mallorca aims to become a living example of resilience and regeneration in the Mediterranean.