Introduction to Peatlands
Drained moors now cause more CO2 emissions than all global air travel combined, which is why some farmers in Germany are experimenting with rewetting these areas. However, it remains a risky business model. Farmer Henning Voigt’s farm near the German Baltic Sea coast is an example of this experiment. About 25 years ago, his father began rewetting a once drained moorland. The hay they harvest from these wet fields is burned in a power plant to generate district heating. Cattle farming is not possible there because the nutritional value of the moor plants is too low.
Peatlands and Climate Protection
Voigt and his father are among the pioneers of moorland farming in Germany. The country’s moors have been drained over the centuries, so that today only around 2% of the original area remains in a near-natural state. Germany is one of the countries that has drained peatlands the most. This is a serious problem, as former peatlands accounted for only 7% of German agricultural land, but were responsible for almost 40% of agricultural greenhouse gas emissions. Beneath the moist surface of peatlands lies a huge carbon store, making them a crucial lever for climate protection. Although peatlands only cover about 3% of the Earth’s land area, they contain about a third of the world’s soil carbon – twice as much as all of the planet’s forests combined.
Drained Bogs and Climate Change
When peatlands are drained, the stored carbon comes into contact with oxygen and CO2 is produced, which escapes into the atmosphere. Instead of protecting the climate, former peatlands are accelerating global warming – and that’s exactly what’s happening: drained peatlands now emit more CO2 than global air traffic. Fortunately, about 85% of the world’s peatlands are still in good, natural and moist condition. But that could change, with around half a million hectares of peatland being drained every year.
The Challenges of Rewetting
The best solution for the climate would be to protect intact moors and rewet drained moors. But that’s easier said than done. In tropical regions, peatlands are still drained for agricultural use, often because local populations are unaware of their ecological value. However, most drained peatlands are in Europe, where the focus is now on rewetting. Many of these areas are used for agriculture, forestry or even inhabitation, making it difficult to restore them to their original state. For farmers, the problem is closely linked to their livelihoods. Karsten Padeken from the Lower Saxony Farmers’ Association argues that it makes no sense for farmers to re-wet moors because "you can’t make a living from it."
Paludiculture: A Possible Solution
There are many ideas about how paludiculture, or agriculture adapted to wet peatlands, could work. Some projects focus on the energetic use of moor plants – for example to generate biogas or heat, as on Voigt’s farm. Others are testing building and insulation materials made from reeds, cattails or sedges. However, most of the projects are still in the testing phase and only a few have reached the market. It’s a classic chicken-and-egg problem: without a larger supply of paludiculture products, there is hardly any demand. But without demand, it’s not worth producing them.
Subsidies and Financial Support
Paludiculture already offers Voigt some income, but he is still heavily dependent on EU funding. This is the main part of his income, but it’s a tricky business model since agricultural subsidies are only guaranteed for five years. There could soon be additional financial support for farmers restoring peatlands. According to experts, the Federal Environment Ministry and the Agricultural Development Bank are working on a comprehensive funding program. The trend is clear: those who prepare in the future and learn how agriculture can work in wetlands will be better positioned in the medium and long term.
Making Wetland Farming More Attractive
To solve the chicken-and-egg problem, experts suggest that the government commit to buying a fixed amount of paludiculture produce from farmers. Anything that offers long-term perspectives would help. More financial support and flexibility for experiments would also be beneficial. As soon as areas become waterlogged again, they cannot currently be drained again. If that were allowed, farmers would be more willing to experiment on parts of their land. For now, however, every farmer should think carefully before taking the risk of venturing into peatland farming. An agreement between the 16 federal states and the federal government in Berlin from 2021 stipulates that all moor areas should be managed as moist as possible by 2050. Denmark has gone a step further and plans to introduce a price on greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture. If Germany were to do the same, CO2 emissions from drained peatlands would be costly for farmers. Conversely, paying farmers for avoided emissions could motivate them to re-wett their land.
