Professor Hans Joosten:

We have to look for economically viable alternatives to the current use of peatland. This will not involve dairy. We have to stop dairy farming on peat. Of course, we can think about water buffalo. They can graze in very wet conditions; it is not a problem. I have done this behind my house. We really have to think about the niche of the crops. Wetland plants are much stronger than dryland plants, simply because they stand in water, which is much heavier. The forces they are exposed to are much stronger. At the same time, they have to bring oxygen to the roots. They have conductive tissue that brings oxygen from the air to the roots. The combination is very strong. There is very good insulating, open material that is ideal for housebuilding, including for making construction plates that can replace cement, steel, etc. These experiments have been done. These developments are the future. We must think outside the box about new materials that peatlands can provide to address the climate problem.