Craigiebuckler, Aberdeen, AB15 8QH, UK

SOCIO-ECONOMICS

Progress report

RECIPE meeting, Scheyern, Germany, 17 - 20 May 2005

Outline

Workpackage 1

Publications: Common paper

Tasks ahead

RECIPE meeting, Scheyern, Germany, 17 - 20 May 2005

Workpackage 1

WP1: Socio-economic appraisal of peat exploitation

Divided into two main parts:

Part1: Assessment of socio-economic importance of peat exploitation and alternative peatland uses Common part of WP1 to compare results between the EU countries

Part 2: Country specific studies analysing in more detail certain specific aspects of peatland utilisation with different methodologies

RECIPE meeting, Scheyern, Germany, 17 - 20 May 2005

Workpackage 1

Part 1: Assessment of socio-economic importance of peat exploitation and alternative peatland uses

Regional distribution of peatland and identification of prevailing types of peat and peatland uses

Policy framework Peat production Peat trade Employment Differentiation in raw peat and processed peat Alternative peatland uses focussing on agriculture and

conservation concepts

RECIPE meeting, Scheyern, Germany, 17 - 20 May 2005

Workpackage 1

Part 2: Country specific studies

Finland: Based on a semi-structured stakeholder questionnaire,

investigation of three main impacts of peat exploitation in Finland:

environmental aspects, employment and re-use of peat production

areas.

Switzerland: Evaluation of alternative peatland uses

concentrating on agricultural land uses and tourism and peatland

management using two case study areas, supported by

stakeholder interviews on their perception of the different activities

RECIPE meeting, Scheyern, Germany, 17 - 20 May 2005

Workpackage 1

Part 2: Country specific studies

Scotland: Focus on economic evaluation of peat extraction differentiating between different purposes such as whisky production, local usage and peat exports mainly for horticulture.

France: Sociological study of stakeholders perceptions of different peatland uses carried out in three case study areas.

Germany: Focus on the evaluation of the policy framework for peatland management and protection.

RECIPE meeting, Scheyern, Germany, 17 - 20 May 2005

Finland: Work finished and report available.

France: Part 1 finished; part 2 on-going; report available summer 2005

Germany: Work on-going; report available summer 2005

Scotland: Work finished; report under revision

Switzerland: Part 1 finished and report available; part 2a finished and report available; part 2b on-going report available summer 2005.

Reports:

Workpackage 1

RECIPE meeting, Scheyern, Germany, 17 - 20 May 2005

Background and focus of the paper:

Focus on peatland rehabilitation not on further peat extraction

Peat extraction provides only economic and social benefits with high environmental costs

But results provide overall little evidence of economic and social benefits of peat extraction, only in Finland some regional importance

Peatland rehabilitation can provide environmental, economic and social benefits

Common paper (other country specific paper planned in Finland and Switzerland)

Publications

RECIPE meeting, Scheyern, Germany, 17 - 20 May 2005

Publications

RECIPE meeting, Scheyern, Germany, 17 - 20 May 2005

Figure 1: Benefits and costs from peatland utilisation

To evaluate opportunities and conflicts for peatland utilisation and rehabilitation in Finland, France, Germany, Scotland and Switzerland.

Aim:

Common paper

RECIPE meeting, Scheyern, Germany, 17 - 20 May 2005

Sub-objectives:

To analyse potential economic and social benefits of different re-use options of exploited peatlands and to compare these with the socio-economic benefits from peat extraction.

To discuss the potential environmental implications of re-use options and identify conflicts for peatland rehabilitation.

1. Introduction

2. Socio-economic importance of peat extraction in the country case studies

3. Peat extraction, re-use of peatland and peatland protection: sustainable utilisation of peatland

4. Socio-economic benefits of different re-use options of peatlands in the country case studies and their implications for peatland rehabilitation

5. Conclusion

Preliminary title and structure:

Common paper

RECIPE meeting, Scheyern, Germany, 17 - 20 May 2005

Opportunities and conflicts for peatland rehabilitation in Europe: A socio-economic comparison of case studies from Finland, France,

Germany, Scotland and Switzerland

Paper is based on the work already carried out but requires some additional work

In some countries focus has been more on implications of peat extraction, hence, more work on re-use of peatland is needed

Link to WP7: Define (recommend) different re-use and management options for peatland and their socio-economic implications in the country case studies

Tasks ahead

RECIPE meeting, Scheyern, Germany, 17 - 20 May 2005

Do we (RECIPE) focus on re-use options for peatland and their rehabilitation potential (instead of opportunities for peat extraction)?

Does the common paper idea represent the (broad) interests of the whole group?

Future feedback from the whole group:

Implication for possible re-use scenarios and their socio-economic implications (WP7)

information about thresholds beyond which rehabilitation is no longer possible

Future tasks and project resources?

Some questions

RECIPE meeting, Scheyern, Germany, 17 - 20 May 2005