About Peatlands for Prosperity
Building on the success of the Farm Carbon EIP, Green Restoration Ireland Cooperative Society Ltd (GRI) is proud to lead the Peatlands for Prosperity project, funded by the EU Just Transition Programme. This initiative is centered on supporting farmers with peatland areas by providing practical training, tailored farm services, and innovative ways to generate income—particularly through raising the water table and adopting climate-friendly practices.
Through this project, GRI has established Ireland’s first on-farm paludiculture trials, pioneering the cultivation of crops suited to wetter conditions. These include grasses, blueberries, herbs, vegetables, and even commercial timber species. By helping farmers transition to these new systems, GRI is equipping them with the skills and support needed to manage their land more sustainably while opening the door to new income streams.
Typical cutover land suitable for Paludiculture products and carbon credits. Blueberry fields.
Crucially, GRI is also working on mechanisms to reward farmers for ecosystem services—like rewetting peatlands and enhancing carbon storage—ensuring that they are financially recognized for the environmental benefits they provide.
As part of a wider European network of practitioners, GRI is actively contributing to the development of paludiculture techniques and the creation of new markets. While demand already exists for food crops, there is exciting potential for products like biochar, building materials, and sustainable textiles—industries that can thrive alongside nature and offer long-term economic opportunities for rural communities.
Download Peatlands for Prosperity Brochure to Learn More! : Download Brochure
Farm Services
As part of the Peatlands for Prosperity project, Green Restoration Ireland Cooperative Society Ltd (GRI) is offering free, hands-on support to farmers, farm advisors, and the wider community. This includes tailored consultancy, specialised training, open days, and school visits to pilot sites—creating opportunities for learning, engagement, and collaboration.
Farmers participating in the project can access comprehensive, no-cost surveys to assess their land’s peatland potential. These desktop and on-site assessments will:
- Baseline peatland habitats to identify existing carbon storage, greenhouse gas emissions, and opportunities for carbon projects;
- Evaluate land suitability for peatland forestry and the cultivation of cutover crops like biomass, fodder, and fruits;
- Explore carbon credit potential and identify practical ways to increase farm income while restoring ecosystems.
Each participating farmer will receive a detailed Farm Report outlining tailored recommendations—ranging from carbon project feasibility to projected returns from rewetting, paludiculture, and alternative crop production.
In addition, a limited number of farms will be selected for the establishment of trial paludiculture areas. These demonstration sites will include soil and vegetation analysis, water level monitoring, and support for planting the crops best suited to each farmer’s goals and conditions.
This is a farmer-first, future-forward approach to climate action—ensuring those stewarding the land are supported, trained, and paid for doing the right thing.
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Training and Farm Walks
GRI brings deep expertise in farmer-focused education—including the delivery of Ireland’s first training programme on carbon farming. Under the Peatlands for Prosperity project, GRI is expanding this work by offering free, easy-to-understand training designed to empower farmers with the skills and knowledge to manage their peatlands successfully.
Whether you’re just exploring the potential of your peatlands for carbon credits or paludiculture or are ready to trial new approaches on your land, this training will help you understand your options and unlock new income streams.
The training opportunities include:
- Farm walks and hands-on workshops at the two pilot farms, hosted by the pioneering farmers already practicing cultivation of cutover peatlands and water level management;
- In-person and online training sessions covering the principles of peatland restoration, carbon storage, and sustainable land use through paludiculture;
- The opportunity to earn a training certificate in paludiculture, equipping farmers with formal recognition for their knowledge and positioning them at the forefront of climate-smart agriculture.
These sessions are designed with farmers in mind—practical, accessible, and focused on real-world application to support sustainable income, long-term farm resilience and environmental action.
This series of training events is also an excellent opportunity for farm advisors to upskill their knowledge in relation to new carbon farming approaches and carbon projects.
Find a date that works for you in our series of training events and webinar, and book a place: https://www.eventbrite.ie/o/green-restoration-ireland-71352111833
Upcoming Events
PFP | On-Farm Training
Thursday, May 22 | FREE
PFP | On-Farm Training
Thursday, June 5 | FREE
PFP | Webinar
Thursday, June 19 | FREE
What is Paludiculture
Paludiculture is the productive land use of wet and rewetted peatlands that preserves the peat soil and thereby minimizes CO2 emissions and subsidence.
A shortlist of the 100 most promising commercially viable paludiculture species has been drawn up, which includes crops for agriculture, biomass, construction, food, floristry, fodder, horticulture, packaging, medicine / pharmacy, textiles, timber and wood products and other raw materials. It can also generate carbon credits and provide the basis for new amenity and recreation products. Paludiculture is eligible for BISS under CAP and forms part of the Irish Climate Action Plan for 2023. Processing of foodstuffs and materials produced from Paludiculture will form an important pillar of a new circular bio-economy providing sustainable materials for new sectors of the Irish economy and opportunities for rural development.
