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

Jessen, L, Evers, S ORCID: 0000-0002-6639-5776, Field, C, Johnson, S, Kennedy, R, Laing, S, Longden, M, Marinissen, J, Morley, T, Neumann, J, Nolan, M, O’Brien, J, Shariat, A, Sharma, B, van der Scheer, O, van der Snoek, M, Vrolijk, J and Renou-Wilson, F (2026) Transitioning from Degraded Peat to Paludiculture: Evidence-Based Roadmap for Research and Practice. Land, 15 (9). p. 1676. ISSN 2073-445X

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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.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	33 Built Environment and Design; 4104 Environmental Management; 41 Environmental Sciences; 3301 Architecture; 3304 Urban and Regional Planning; 2 Zero Hunger; 15 Life on Land; 13 Climate Action; 0502 Environmental Science and Management; 3301 Architecture; 3304 Urban and regional planning; 4104 Environmental management
Subjects:	G Geography. Anthropology. Recreation > GE Environmental Sciences S Agriculture > S Agriculture (General)
Divisions:	Biological and Environmental Sciences (from Sep 19)
Publisher:	MDPI AG
Date of acceptance:	6 September 2026
Date of first compliant Open Access:	5 October 2026
Date Deposited:	05 Oct 2026 14:55
Last Modified:	05 Oct 2026 14:55
DOI or ID number:	10.3390/land15091676
URI:	https://researchonline.ljmu.ac.uk/id/eprint/29610

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