Sustainable use
Meanwhile, the term „paludiculture“ (from ‘palus’ – Latin ‘swamp’) is well-known internationally. It was coined in Greifswald. Paludiculture refers to agriculture or forestry on wet or rewetted peatlands. Innovative and sustainable land use options developed in Greifswald include energy generation from fen biomass, use of common reed and cattail for construction materials, and cultivation of peatmoss as a substitute for peat in horticultural substrates. Next to scientific studies, Greifswald coordinates direct implementation with cooperation partners. Recently, the Greifswald efforts received prestigious awards such as the European CULTURA Award 2013, the German Sustainability Award 2013 (category research) and a nomination as official Landmark in the Land of Ideas in 2014. Within existing cooperation ranging from the farm level to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO), the GMC provides diverse approaches for responsible and sustainable management of peatlands - for nature, for climate, for people, forever.
Some of our contributions:
- Report on workshop with EU actors on Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and farming on peatlands (Appulo et al. 2019)
- Report on economic incentives for climate-smart agriculture on peatlands in the EU (Wichmann 2018)
- DPPP - Database of potential paludiculture plants
- Combined ecological and economical expertise
- Wise Use Guidelines (Joosten & Clarke 2002)
- Development of carbon credits and standards / methodologies for other ecosystem services (e.g. MoorFutures, Joosten et al. 2013)
- Involvement in The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (TEEB)
- Consultancy for UBA/DEHSt regarding carbon markets
- Paludiculture concepts
- Initiation and technical support for pilot projects (e.g. the first fen biomass heating plant in Malchin near Greifswald
- Alliances ranging from individual farmers to FAO
- Development of FAO-Guidelines for climate smart peatland utilisation (Joosten et al. 2012)
- European CULTURA Award 2013, German Sustainability Award 2013 in the category research, and nomination as official Landmark in the Land of Ideas in 2014.
- Combined ecological and economical expertise (e.g. BfN report 2015)