‘Silver Bullet’ Solution Offers New Economic Opportunities for Peatland Farmers

· The Peatlands for Prosperity: Farming for the Future project to be launched on Wednesday 21 May 2025 at the Paludiculture ‘Showroom’ in Shinrone, Offaly.

· It is one of the projects funded in the EU Just Transition Fund programme, co-financed by the Government of Ireland and the European Union.

· As part of the project, Green Restoration Ireland is offering free, hands-on support to farmers, farm advisors, and the wider community as to how to access new income streams from peatlands, in particular abandoned cutover.

· Anyone with an interest is encouraged to book training with the project or get in touch to find out more about surveys and other services.

Peatlands have been very much in the headlines of late with a lot of concern in the farming community about the possible imposition of conditions for agricultural peat grasslands. But what if you could actually ‘restore’ damaged and degrading peatlands by reclamation for agriculture, generating income from lands with no financial potential? How is this even possible? Well, this is what the new Peatlands for Prosperity project is proposing – the key difference lies in the approach.

The launch of the Peatlands for Prosperity: Farming for the Future project, funded by the Government of Ireland and the European Union through the EU Just Transition Programme and run by Green Restoration Ireland (GRI) took place on Wednesday, 21st May. This was held at the Paludiculture ‘Showroom’ on the Regan farm in Gortavally, Shinrone, Offaly. This is the site of Ireland’s first on-farm Paludiculture trials and will be one of the two main venues for the project. The second demonstration farm is located in Ferbane, County Offaly.

Of the launch of the project, Minister for Climate, Environment and Energy Darragh O’Brien T.D. remarked:

“We welcome this opportunity to support this innovative project. Management of farmed peatlands through paludiculture is a valuable opportunity to support the transition towards climate-neutrality and encourage biodiversity, while also facilitating the diversification and modernisation of the economy of the Territory for the benefit of impacted communities.

“Peatlands for Prosperity demonstrates an environmentally sustainable solution to the challenges of the cessation of peat extraction in the Midlands, placing the welfare and wellbeing of the farming community at its core. This project represents the necessary shift towards environmentally conscious land use while enabling farmers to access new potential sources of revenue. We look forward to witnessing the impact and influence of this project on future initiatives.”

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon T.D. also stated:

“As Minister for Agriculture, I recognise the importance of working with farmers with peat soils in generating an income for their families. A key element of the Peatlands for Prosperity initiative is the provision of hands-on support for farmers. Providing farmers with the right tools, in the right place, at the right time are critical to ensuring an economic and environmentally sustainable Irish agriculture sector. I look forward to seeing the outputs of this project and wish all involved great success.”

Peter Power, Head of the European Commission Representation in Ireland said:

“The EU Just Transition Fund supports innovative approaches to developing the territories most affected by the transition towards climate neutrality.

“The Peatlands for Prosperity project is about developing alternative income streams for farmers while contributing to the restoration of peatlands.”

A/Director of the Eastern and Midland Regional Assembly, Clare Bannon said:

“The prosperity of the wider Midland region is closely tied to sustainable agriculture. The Peatlands for Prosperity project is an excellent example of innovative approaches that preserve the region’s unique environment and while supporting economic opportunities for local farmers.

“The Eastern and Midland Regional Assembly (EMRA) as the Managing Authority of the EU Just Transition Fund, is delighted to work with Pobal in administering grant aid directly from the European Union to projects that stem from the ingenuity of our local communities – in the first scheme of its kind. Projects like Peatlands for Prosperity highlights how financial supports that directly target regional and local innovative entities can transform regional development and improve the livelihoods of our communities.”

Pobal CEO, Anna Shakespeare said:

“The Peatlands for Prosperity project delivered by Green restoration Ireland which is trialling new farming practices such as paludiculture to help counter biodiversity loss and introduce farmers to a “new” sustainable agriculture, is an excellent example of the innovative initiatives that organisations, communities and enterprises across the Midlands are undertaking under the Just Transition Programme. It is one of 44 projects being supported under the Fund and we have been impressed with the uniqueness of a range of such initiatives being piloted that attempt to build new skills, generate jobs, and diversify the economy while contributing towards the transition to a low carbon economy.”

Dr Doug McMillan, General Manager of GRI said:

“With the Peatlands for Prosperity project, Green Restoration Ireland (GRI) is offering free, hands-on support to farmers, farm advisors, and the wider community. Participating farmers can avail of comprehensive, no-cost surveys to assess their peatland’s potential for carbon payments, Paludiculture crops and establishment of paludiculture crops. The project also offers free on-farm training delivered at the pioneer farms in County Offaly to demonstrate how to successfully manage your peatlands and unlock new income streams.”

 

Paludiculture Pays Four Times Over!

‘Paludiculture (wetland agriculture) is the productive land use of wet and rewetted peatlands that preserves the peat soil and thereby minimizes CO2 emissions and subsidence.’ (A definition of paludiculture in the CAP – Wetlands International Europe)

A veritable silver bullet, if done right Paludiculture has the potential to pay four times over:

1. Firstly in the form of carbon payments from raising the water table to lock in carbon and avoid carbon emissions as outlined in the new Peatland Standard for Ireland (Peatland Standard for Ireland — Peatland Finance Ireland);

2. In the form of payments for the crops and raw materials produced;

3. Where this is done on existing agricultural land it conserves the peat soils for future generations of farmers (drained peat soils are lost at an average rate of 1 cm a year); and

4. Lastly, it pays in co-benefits of enhanced biodiversity, habitats and ecosystem services that arise from healthy peatlands providing climate resilience for agriculture and contributing to national and EU objectives for climate, green growth, biodiversity and water quality, so reducing costly fines for the country as a whole. Payment for these additional ecosystem services are an integral part of carbon payments outlined in the Irish Peatland Standard.

A Paludiculture First for Ireland

With paludiculture, peatlands are kept productive under raised water tables making it a blueprint for carbon farming of peaty soils by simultaneously allowing agricultural cultivation (or forestry) to produce food, feed, biomass and other raw materials.

At the Regan ‘Showroom’, a full cross-section of crops suited to wetter conditions have been trialled including grasses, fruits, herbs, vegetables, commercial timber species and crops for construction, fibres and other raw materials that can develop the circular bio-economy. A key project aim is to show farmers a range of the most lucrative crops to choose from and help them transition to these new agricultural systems.

The event on the day will include a tour of these new crops and other carbon farming measures, short presentations and the finest in Irish farm hospitality!

Access Farm Services & Training Courses

If you are a peatland farmer, farm advisor or just have an interest and want to book your training or would like to find out more about the programme then please contact GRI at doug@greenrestorationireland.coop or call Doug at 087 9678 372.