The aim of “Carbon Connects” is to enhance carbon sequestration of mismanaged peatlands in North-West Europe by promoting new sustainable bio-based business models developed for sustainable land management practices. It promotes alternative practices, sustainable business models and credit schemes for wet agriculture involving: raising water levels, introducing new crops (e.g. cattail, reed, peat moss), sequestering carbon in soil and harvested biomass (e.g. for use in construction materials).
The project tests innovative approaches as part of a network of pilot sites across the Netherlands, France, Belgium, Germany, UK and Ireland, established on different peatland types and ranging between 0,4 ha and 30 000 ha. Through a novel farmer-to-farmer(F2F) knowledge sharing approach and the development of alternative business models, the project empowered farmers and landowners to adopt sustainable land use practices. The project delivered 10 transnational pilots and engaged with 85 farmers and landowners across NWE through the F2F programme. The programme was updated to a Farmer-to-Market (F2M) methodology to connect farmers and landowners with market and investment players to effectively bridge the current financial gap existing to support the transition towards sustainable peatland management practices.
One of the key outputs of the project, the C-Toolbox, is based on the learnings of 5 European projects dealing with peatland restoration by providing landowners and farmers alternative income sources without damaging the environment. One part of the toolbox focuses specifically on new business and financial models allowing landowners and farmers to move to more sustainable, yet profitable land management practices on peatlands.
Another key output of the project is the Site Emissions Tool (SET), which aims to help interested farmers, public authorities, and other stakeholders interested in calculating GHG emissions to assess the effects of drainage, crop and management choices from wetland areas while maintaining a good balance between user-friendliness and accuracy.
