Transitioning from Degraded Peat to Paludiculture: Evidence-Based Roadmap for Research and Practice

Abstract

Paludiculture, the sustainable productive use of wet and rewetted peat soils, offers a dual solution for preserving soil carbon and reducing greenhouse gas emissions whilst offering a form of income for landowners/farmers. However, establishing best practices for the transition to wet agriculture production systems remains difficult due to the inherent variability of peatland sites. This study synthesises evidence from the peer-reviewed literature, grey literature, and stakeholder surveys to map current practices, concepts, knowledge gaps, and research priorities. The main gap is a lack of long-term studies tracking crops from establishment through multiple harvests. Practical knowledge is also geography-ically, limiting applicability without local environmental and policy context. Further critical gaps include crop species selection, upscaling, biodiversity impacts, specialised harvesting equipment, and evolving end-product markets, alongside country-specific legal and financial barriers. Key recommendations include establishing a robust initial site investigation as edaphic properties and previous land-use can inform crop establishment and potential operational hurdles. Furthermore, increased funding for long-term farm-based projects, technological innovation and prioritising producing data that supports finance models must be made available to offset the costs of transitioning and developing new, system-level agronomical tools. Ultimately, scaling paludiculture hinges on robust incentive frameworks, shared knowledge platforms, and standardised nomenclature to guarantee long-term environmental and economic sustainability.