Dutch test crops to save peatlands
Summary
Dutch farmers are testing rice cultivation in soggy peatland fields to see whether the crop can help slow land subsidence and reduce carbon emissions. The pilot project near Amsterdam and The Hague is also drawing interest from local restaurants for premium Dutch-grown rice.
Key Points
- A pilot project in the Netherlands is testing rice cultivation on wet peat soils near Amsterdam and The Hague.
- Researchers say keeping peatlands wet with rice could reduce carbon dioxide emissions and slow land subsidence.
- The team is monitoring CO2 and methane emissions to compare rice farming with grassland use.
- Local restaurants have already expressed interest in serving Dutch-grown rice if the experiment succeeds.
