Researchers at University of Galway are leading a new €10 million multi-country project to develop paludiculture demonstration sites in Ireland, the UK and the Netherlands.

Paludiculture refers to agriculture and forestry on wet peatlands. It aims to combine land use and crop production with the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.

The four-year project, called 'Palus Demos', is part of a European initiative to help farmers diversify profitably, while meeting climate goals, the researchers said.

The project is co-ordinated by Niall Ó Brolcháin of the University of Galway, who said that farmers should not be "preached" at but should instead be presented with "realistic" opportunities.

Palus Demos researchers said the project will explore new agricultural business models; develop markets for paludiculture products; increase employment; benefiting the environment; and align with the European Green Deal.

The project brings together 26 international partners including farmers, public research bodies, non-government organisations (NGO), commercial farms, and industry to stimulate the market and provide policy recommendations to address potential challenges.

Palus Demos is the latest in a network of European-funded paludiculture projects.

The project is funded by Horizon Europe, the EU’s key funding programme for research and innovation.

Researchers say support for the practice of paludiculture is growing, as 'wet farming' presents significant opportunities for farmers to diversify into higher yield crop and biomass production.

Paludiculture products for the horticultural, construction and textile industries offer sustainable alternatives to materials such as peat and synthetic fibres, the researchers said.

They said that the majority of Europe’s peatlands have been drained for agricultural use.

Draining dries the peat, resulting in decomposition and the release of carbon. By managing the water table closer to the surface, the aim is to reduce emissions while allowing for commercially viable crops.

There are an estimated 1.5 million hectares of peatland in Ireland alone. Thus, turning a proportion of these lands over to paludiculture is an "efficient way to meet our carbon targets".

Palus Demos researchers will test the scalability of a range of high value crops such as sphagnum moss, typha, blueberries and cranberries.

Co-ordinator Niall Ó Brolcháin said: "It is great to take part in a European project that demonstrates new farming practices and should offer better incomes to farmers and rural communities while helping to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve the environment at the same time.

"We need to stop preaching at farmers while tying them up in red tape, and to start presenting them with realistic, new, high value opportunities," Ó Brolcháin.