Get in the Ring and LTO Noord are looking for your innovative solution to fight the subsidence of peatlands. Subsidence is a worldwide problem in both rural and urban areas. In the Netherlands alone the costs as a result of subsidence have been estimated to be over 16 billion euros. We’re looking for innovative technologies to make wetland cultivation economically viable or to prevent land subsidence in general.
LTO is the organization of and for agricultural entrepreneurs. With more than 25.000 members, LTO Noord is active in 9 provinces and collaborates with entrepreneurs to foster development and innovation. With its enormous network and proactive stance, LTO links its members, the government, society, and the business community; supporting the collective and individual interests of agricultural entrepreneurs. LTO Noord has set course for 2025, over the next 7 years they aim to reduce subsidence by at least 50%.
At the moment, to make peatland suitable for agriculture, the land is drained. Draining peatland lowers its groundwater level, exposing the soil to oxygen. This exposure causes oxidation and subsequently leads to peat caving in.