paludi food
cooking up wet futures
Exploring the role of wet peatlands in our food systems and how food can spark conversations about rewetting.
Many drained peatlands today are used for animal agriculture. As peatlands are gaining momentum, paludiculture – growing crops on rewetted peat soils – is emerging as a practice for bringing rewetting and creating livelihoods on peatlands together. Cattail, reed and sphagnum crops are being explored as ecological alternatives in the construction and potting soil industries.
But, could we connect the transition to paludiculture back to our food systems? What edible crops can grow on wet peat soil? And how might flavour and shared meals help us transform our relationship to these landscapes and push for policies that enable peatlands to be WET again?
These are questions that we explored in our Paludi Food projects.
MORSELS FROM THE MOOR
Celebrating the flavours of Europe’s
peatlands and a new future for these wetland ecosystems
This unusual cookbook isn’t just a collection of recipes featuring wetland ingredients—it’s also a call for the EU to support farmers in their transition to paludiculture.
Did you know that, the EU's Common Agricultural Policy does not currently support farmers in transitioning from drainage-based farming to wet-farming, despite the fact that this shift could cut the total EU agricultural emissions by a staggering 25%?
While working on this project, we learned about promising paludiculture research initiatives, exchanged ideas about the future of peatlands with fellow peat-ple, shared the story behind the cookbook, and had the chance to introduce the Peatland Justice campaign to some members of European Parliament
A big thanks to Wetlands International - Europe for the invitation and collaboration!
PALUDI DINNERS
Our Paludi Dinners take these ideas and turn it into a collective experience.
In May 2025, we hosted our first Paludi Dinner at de Sering in Amsterdam with TestTafel’s chef Hamish Day. Around a long table, we brought peat-ple together to share a meal, tell stories, and collectively dream different futures for Dutch peatlands. The menu featured roasted cattail flowers, bog myrtle alioli, water mint ice cream, and lots of beautiful conversations.
Would you like to bring Paludi Food to your event? Then get in touch at bobbi@re-peat.earth
