What is ‘good’ peatland regeneration?

Press/Media: Expert Comment

Description

UPLAND peatlands, often 
referred to as ‘blanket 
bogs’, play a vital role providing grazing for livestock. However, the importance of 
this landscape does not end there.
Peatlands make up approximately 25 per cent of the land area 
of Northern Ireland. They support biodiversity, regulate water 
flow and are popular with walkers. 
They can also play a crucial role in 
mitigating climate change – but 
only if conditions are right.
According to a DAERA report, 
“conservation is dependent on the 
adoption of good management 
practices by … owners”. Therefore, 
it is crucial for farmers to engage in 
sustainable practices to enhance 
environmental, as well as farming, 
outcomes.
At Ulster University Business 
School, we are part of a project 
led by Agri-Food & Biosciences 
Institute (AFBI) investigating hills 
and upland farmer perceptions of 
agri-environmental schemes. As 
part of this project, AFBI hosted a 
multi-stakeholder event to discuss 
how to achieve a healthy peatland 
environment.
Dr Paul Caskie, Head of Economics Research (AFBI), highlighted: “The symposium aimed to 
share knowledge and encourage 
discussion on what good peatland 
management means to stakeholders and how it can be delivered in 
the uplands on Northern Ireland.”
The symposium brought together approximately 60 participants representing a variety of 
perspectives to consider policy, 
ecology, practice, barriers, and 
solutions aimed at achieving peatland regeneration.
DAERA Deputy Director in 
Natural Environment Policy Division, Fiona Dickson, discussed the 
NI Peatland Strategy for Northern 
Ireland, which provides the policy 
framework for managing and conserving our peatlands.
The NIEA Natural Environment 
Division provided an overview of 
the status of peatlands in Northern 
Ireland together with an update of 
the GHG emission inventory of the 
region.
Ulster Wildlife Trust shared 
a case study from a Special Area 
of Conservation, Cranny Bogs in 
County Tyrone, where the combination of external funding and 
farmers’ own contribution provided an example of best practice to 
restore peatbogs. Research undertaken by the Ulster Farmers’ Union 
indicated that common challenges 
included the fear of penalties, the 
slow speed of verification, payment rates, general flexibility, and 
short application timeframes.
In this context, Results-Based 
Payment Schemes (RBPS) offer 
the opportunity for large scale 
restoration. With RBPS, farmers 
are paid to produce environmental 
benefits, with monitoring activity 
to assess progress and thus decide 
farmer payment. They represent a 
more efficient way to allocate public funding as money goes where 
the environmental benefit is generated. 
Dr Simone Angioloni, Head of 
Behavioural Studies Research in 
Economics Research, AFBI, presented the results from an experiment with 309 SDA beef and sheep 
farmers designed to elicit their 
preferences towards different 
characteristics of a RBPS to support peatland regeneration: “The 
results revealed the importance 
of scheme design and financial incentives to promote participation. 
Farmers were favourably disposed 
to RBPS, as well as to the presence 
of an external expert to monitor 
and report the outcome that determined payment. 
“Farmers also indicated a preference for an external contractor 
to deliver the initial capital works 
to improve water retention rather 
than having responsibility for 
these actions. Setting high environmental goals for payment, such 
as achieving 30 per cent sphagnum 
moss coverage, does not reduce 
participation in the AES as much 
as increasing the contract duration 
above 10 years.”
The event indicated the importance of cooperation between policymakers, environmental NGOs, 
research, and farmers to achieve a 
more sustainable land-use.

Period2 Jan 2025

Media contributions

1

Media contributions

  • TitleWhat is ‘good’ peatland regeneration?
    Degree of recognitionLocal
    Media name/outletFarm Week
    Media typePrint
    Duration/Length/Size800 words
    Country/TerritoryUnited Kingdom
    Date2/01/25
    DescriptionUPLAND peatlands, often
    referred to as ‘blanket
    bogs’, play a vital role providing grazing for livestock. However, the importance of
    this landscape does not end there.
    Peatlands make up approximately 25 per cent of the land area
    of Northern Ireland. They support biodiversity, regulate water
    flow and are popular with walkers.
    They can also play a crucial role in
    mitigating climate change – but
    only if conditions are right.
    According to a DAERA report,
    “conservation is dependent on the
    adoption of good management
    practices by … owners”. Therefore,
    it is crucial for farmers to engage in
    sustainable practices to enhance
    environmental, as well as farming,
    outcomes.
    At Ulster University Business
    School, we are part of a project
    led by Agri-Food & Biosciences
    Institute (AFBI) investigating hills
    and upland farmer perceptions of
    agri-environmental schemes. As
    part of this project, AFBI hosted a
    multi-stakeholder event to discuss
    how to achieve a healthy peatland
    environment.
    Dr Paul Caskie, Head of Economics Research (AFBI), highlighted: “The symposium aimed to
    share knowledge and encourage
    discussion on what good peatland
    management means to stakeholders and how it can be delivered in
    the uplands on Northern Ireland.”
    The symposium brought together approximately 60 participants representing a variety of
    perspectives to consider policy,
    ecology, practice, barriers, and
    solutions aimed at achieving peatland regeneration.
    DAERA Deputy Director in
    Natural Environment Policy Division, Fiona Dickson, discussed the
    NI Peatland Strategy for Northern
    Ireland, which provides the policy
    framework for managing and conserving our peatlands.
    The NIEA Natural Environment
    Division provided an overview of
    the status of peatlands in Northern
    Ireland together with an update of
    the GHG emission inventory of the
    region.
    Ulster Wildlife Trust shared
    a case study from a Special Area
    of Conservation, Cranny Bogs in
    County Tyrone, where the combination of external funding and
    farmers’ own contribution provided an example of best practice to
    restore peatbogs. Research undertaken by the Ulster Farmers’ Union
    indicated that common challenges
    included the fear of penalties, the
    slow speed of verification, payment rates, general flexibility, and
    short application timeframes.
    In this context, Results-Based
    Payment Schemes (RBPS) offer
    the opportunity for large scale
    restoration. With RBPS, farmers
    are paid to produce environmental
    benefits, with monitoring activity
    to assess progress and thus decide
    farmer payment. They represent a
    more efficient way to allocate public funding as money goes where
    the environmental benefit is generated.
    Dr Simone Angioloni, Head of
    Behavioural Studies Research in
    Economics Research, AFBI, presented the results from an experiment with 309 SDA beef and sheep
    farmers designed to elicit their
    preferences towards different
    characteristics of a RBPS to support peatland regeneration: “The
    results revealed the importance
    of scheme design and financial incentives to promote participation.
    Farmers were favourably disposed
    to RBPS, as well as to the presence
    of an external expert to monitor
    and report the outcome that determined payment.
    “Farmers also indicated a preference for an external contractor
    to deliver the initial capital works
    to improve water retention rather
    than having responsibility for
    these actions. Setting high environmental goals for payment, such as achieving 30 per cent sphagnum
    moss coverage, does not reduce
    participation in the AES as much
    as increasing the contract duration
    above 10 years.”
    The event indicated the importance of cooperation between policymakers, environmental NGOs,
    research, and farmers to achieve a
    more sustainable land-use.
    Producer/AuthorDr L Hollywood
    URLfile:///C:/Users/e10415544/Downloads/2025-01-02-Farm_Week-INFW-INFW-35.pdf
    PersonsLynsey Elizabeth Hollywood