Dutch farmers pilot rice cultivation to revive peatlands and cut emissions

In a wetland area near Amsterdam and The Hague, a pilot scheme is cultivating rice on former cattle pasture to address sinking peat soils. The trial, covering 0.6 hectares, uses roughly 30 rice cultivars sourced from Russia, China, Japan and Uzbekistan, with the goal of producing short-grain rice for culinary uses such as sushi. Farmer Sander Roeleveld and the Land van Ons association are leading the field work, while scientists from Wageningen University and Leiden University monitor greenhouse-gas outputs.

Draining peat for grass has historically released substantial carbon dioxide and caused the ground to subside; keeping the peat wet with rice could break this cycle. Researchers report promising early results, noting the dual benefit of climate adaptation and emission reduction. Local restaurants have already expressed interest in the Dutch-grown rice.