ZukunftMoor’s sphagnum moss cultivation project in Northern Germany demonstrates how rewetting drained peatlands can prevent 440 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions annually while creating new agricultural income streams.
A German company called ZukunftMoor is flooding dry peatlands to grow a special type of moss that could replace peat in garden soil. The innovative sphagnum moss cultivation project aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions while providing farmers with a new source of income from wetlands that have been damaged by centuries of drainage.
The company established its first moss farm in April 2024 in Gnarrenburg, Northern Germany, spanning 13.4 hectares, equivalent to approximately 33 acres. By adding water back to land that had been drained for farming, the sphagnum moss cultivation project prevents 440 tonnes of carbon dioxide from entering the atmosphere each year. To achieve the same climate benefit by planting trees, farmers would need to plant 35,000 trees across a much larger area.
Peatlands are wetlands where dead plants accumulate over thousands of years to form peat, a brown, organic material. When these areas are covered with water, the peat remains preserved underground and doesn’t release carbon into the air. But when peatlands are drained for farming or other uses, the peat starts to break down and release greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.
Nearly 95% of Germany’s peatlands have been drained over the centuries for agriculture and peat extraction. These dry peatlands now produce 7.5% of Germany’s total greenhouse gas emissions, releasing about 53 million tonnes per year. That amount equals 25 times more pollution than all German air travel combined, making drained peatlands a major contributor to climate change.
Farmers use almost 80% of the drained peatland in Germany for crops and grazing livestock. The Gnarrenburg area, where ZukunftMoor operates, was first drained in the 1700s for agriculture and peat mining. The location is situated within the Teufelsmoor region, which is Lower Saxony’s largest peatland area. Today, most of this land serves as grassland for dairy cattle, and the peatland’s history remains an important part of regional culture.
ZukunftMoor’s sphagnum moss cultivation method involves growing sphagnum moss, which naturally forms on wet peatlands and eventually becomes peat over thousands of years. This moss has similar properties to peat, making it highly useful for garden soil products. The moss acts as the precursor to peat formation, which explains why it works so well as a substitute material.
The company destroyed the old drainage systems that had kept the land dry for centuries and built new water management controls to flood the previously dry land. They created polders, which are enclosed areas surrounded by dikes, and installed comprehensive water management systems. Workers spent weeks placing individual moss seedlings across the entire pilot area by hand. The sphagnum moss cultivation process requires this careful initial setup, as the moss will grow into a solid carpet over several years before regular harvesting can begin.
Currently, over 50% of German garden soil products contain peat, which harms the climate when extracted from natural peatlands through mining operations. Existing alternatives to peat don’t perform as well in garden applications and are becoming more expensive and harder to find in sufficient quantities. The soil industry produces substrates for both hobby gardeners and commercial horticulture operations.
Sphagnum moss cultivation offers unique advantages because the moss grows naturally on wet peatlands and shares many characteristics with peat itself. However, no relevant supply currently exists in Germany or Europe, as large-scale cultivation has never been attempted before. ZukunftMoor seeks to change this situation by demonstrating that profitable sphagnum moss cultivation is possible on rewetted drained peatlands.
Germany needs to restore more than 50,000 hectares of peatland annually to meet the climate goals set by the Paris Agreement on climate change. But almost no restoration is happening now because farmers can’t afford to give up profitable farmland without alternative income sources. This economic reality prevents the large-scale rewetting that scientists say is necessary for climate protection.
ZukunftMoor aims to demonstrate that wet farming, achieved through sphagnum moss cultivation, can be economically viable for agricultural communities. By selling harvested moss to soil companies as a peat substitute, farmers could earn money while simultaneously protecting the climate. The company plans to support other farms in making the switch to sphagnum moss cultivation over time, creating a network of climate-friendly agricultural operations.
The moss acts as a direct replacement for peat in garden centers and commercial plant growing operations. This substitution could help the soil industry stop using climate-damaging peat while maintaining the product quality that consumers and professional growers expect. The transition would reduce demand for peat extraction from remaining natural peatlands.
When peatlands are drained, carbon stored in the peat combines with oxygen in the air to create carbon dioxide, a major greenhouse gas. Rewetting through sphagnum moss cultivation stops this process immediately and restores other ecosystem services that healthy wetlands provide to wildlife, including water filtration and flood control systems.
The 13.4-hectare pilot farm prevents as much carbon dioxide as removing about 95 average cars from roads for an entire year. As the company expands sphagnum moss cultivation to more areas across Northern Germany, the climate benefits will multiply significantly. Each additional hectare rewetted prevents approximately 33 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions annually.
ZukunftMoor chose the Gnarrenburg location strategically because it sits in the heart of the Teufelsmoor peatland complex. The area has deep cultural and economic connections to peat farming and extraction that date back centuries, making it an ideal testing ground for new approaches to peatland management.
The sphagnum moss cultivation approach addresses multiple environmental and economic problems simultaneously. It reduces greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change, provides farmers with alternative income streams, supplies the garden industry with sustainable raw materials, and restores damaged ecosystems that support biodiversity.
The moss farming process requires patience and careful water management throughout the growing cycle. After planting, the sphagnum moss needs several years to establish a thick, harvestable carpet before regular harvesting operations can begin. The company must also prove that sphagnum moss cultivation can compete economically with traditional agriculture and livestock operations that currently dominate the region.
No large-scale sphagnum moss cultivation currently exists in Germany or Europe, despite growing demand from the soil industry for sustainable peat alternatives. ZukunftMoor aims to change this situation by demonstrating successful cultivation methods that other farmers can adopt and replicate across different peatland regions.
The project represents a new type of agriculture designed specifically for climate protection rather than food production. If successful, sphagnum moss cultivation could provide a replicable model for transforming millions of hectares of drained peatlands across Europe and other regions with similar ecosystems.
Water management systems require ongoing maintenance and monitoring to maintain the optimal moisture levels for moss growth. The company must balance keeping the land sufficiently wet for maximum climate benefits while maintaining conditions that allow sphagnum moss cultivation to thrive and be harvested profitably on a regular schedule.
See also: Restoring Virginia’s Peatlands to Combat Climate Change
ZukunftMoor’s ultimate objective is to produce sufficient quantities of sphagnum moss to help the soil industry completely phase out peat use in consumer and commercial products. This ambitious goal would require scaling up sphagnum moss cultivation operations significantly and convincing many more farmers to flood their traditional agricultural fields.
The success of the ZukunftMoor model could influence agricultural policy and climate strategies across Germany and other countries with large areas of drained peatlands. The sphagnum moss cultivation approach holds promise for achieving international climate goals while supporting rural economies that rely on agriculture. The project demonstrates how innovative farming methods can create economic opportunities while addressing urgent environmental challenges.
