Start pilot cultivating rice on peatland in the Netherlands

Is polder rice a feasible circular alternative for cows on peatland? A pilot experiment started this week. On May 22nd, researchers from Wageningen University & Research (WUR) and Leiden University planted roughly 3,000 rice plants on the Polderlab near Leiden. The researchers want to test rice as a middle pathway for sustainable peatland management in the future: raising the water levels but still producing food. Furthermore, growing rice locally further reduces the imports of staple foods from abroad and fits well in a more circular agriculture.