Paludiculture could become a major part of European farming, and also help to improve water quality. That’s why Euronews recently featured Ballaghurt bog in Co Offaly, one of the key trial sites for Palus Demos, on their ongoing TV series, The Road to Green.
The series, hosted by reporter Cyril Fournier, takes viewers across Europe to meet those who are finding solutions to the greatest economic challenges of our time. Euronews is one of the most popular pan-European news providers, reaching over 400 million viewers a month.
Speaking to Euronews, Arthur Devine of BnM, a Palus Demos partner, said: “If you ask a farmer to rewet the land, it then becomes almost useless for him in terms of high income. What we’re trying to do is showcase that you can crop sphagnum and use it as a replacement for coir (coconut shavings) in horticultural compost.”
Meanwhile, Freya Connolly of The Rivers Trust, another Palus Demos partner, told Euronews that that when the bogs are healthy, they are also bursting with life.
“In a flood event, sphagnum can hold 20 times its own weight in water,” she said.
“Paludiculture, the productive use of wet soils, aims to be a win-win scenario (for farmers and for the environment.”
You can watch the full segment (approx 8 minutes) on Euronews. Palus Demos features from about the 6:30 mark.