Few people know that the Adige Valley in South Tyrol, famous for its apple production today, was once a sprawling mosaic of peatlands. Swamps, fens, and alluvial forests shaped the landscape, a picture vividly captured in old maps, books, and local stories.

Today, only the last fragments of this wetland heritage remain, offering a glimpse into the valley’s past. One such example is the Adlermösl biotope. The nearby peat mining sites show a clear contrast: for decades, peat has been extracted near Leifers and Salurn, releasing enormous amounts of CO2 until today [1]. A brief history review shows how this transformation came to be and reveals the challenges we must face today.

In the past, frequent flooding of the Adige River created a natural cycle, supporting the formation of peatlands in many areas. These areas slowly developed layers of peat that were able to store vast amounts of carbon.

Peatlands were treated as common land for a long time, but with population growth and the rising demand for agricultural space, they were privatized and drained. It was believed that the wide valley, once drained, would hold great potential as fertile farmland. The drainage process took nearly two centuries, as the ditches were dug out by hand. Eventually, growing food on the dry land became possible, allowing apple cultivation here today [2].

However, the peat soil, combined with a high groundwater level, posed challenges for apple farmers in recent years. Low-lying fields often became so wet and unstable that apple trees would lean, prompting farmers to lease their land to peat extraction companies, which then removed the peat to sell it, since it is widely used as a growing substrate for plants and mushrooms [3, 4].

After extraction, these fields were backfilled with soil and stones, slightly elevated, and returned to the owners. Peat extraction, however, comes at a high environmental cost. This process releases vast amounts of CO2: when peat, previously submerged under groundwater, is exposed to air, microorganisms decompose the organic material, releasing stored carbon as CO2. This makes peatlands critical in the fight against climate change and highlights their importance for our planet’s future [1, 4].

For years, residents, biologists, environmental activists, farmers and politicians have been involved in a tense conflict between economic and ecological interests [5, 6, 7]. With the ongoing climate crisis, peat extraction in South Tyrol is set to be banned, as the old extraction licenses near expiration [8].
But once this is achieved, what should become of these areas, some of which still contain peat soil? Opinions in South Tyrol vary widely. Should there simply be apple orchards again, prioritizing economic benefits? Could biotopes be established, aligning with the European Nature Restoration Law? Or could even hybrid forms such as paludiculture* emerge, combining ecological and economic interests?

Despite the varying opinions among stakeholders — farmers, extraction companies, biologists, environmental associations, and residents — a constructive dialogue about the future of peatlands is essential. But how can we foster meaningful dialogue in such a conflict?

As an eco-social designer with a focus on environmental issues, I am currently exploring the topic of peat extraction for my Master’s thesis. I aim to introduce a new discipline into this debate, that is — Design.

Figure 1: Exhibition testing in Waltherhaus, Bolzano. Author, 2024.

Over the past months, I have visited intact, damaged and restored peatlands, interviewed various stakeholders, and created visual materials on the topic. Through this research, I found out that making the issues visual helps to open discussions and make future possibilities tangible. This led me to create an exhibition that not only informs visitors about peat extraction but also serves as a mediator among diverse interest groups. Within the exhibition, the participating stakeholders engage with different perspectives, while also contributing with their own ideas. Narrative scenarios, accompanied by illustrations, depict various futures for the valley and spark discussions — futures where biotopes evolve into educational sites, experimental areas for innovative cultivation methods are developed, or creative strategies for marketing apples grown on peat soil emerge.

Figure 2: Exhibition testing in Waltherhaus, Bolzano. Author, 2024.

After being tested for a few days in Bolzano, the exhibition will next move to Salurn, where tensions are particularly high. This shift presents additional challenges but also opportunities for meaningful dialogue and valuable outcomes. Overall, this research taught me that there are different ways to approach environmental protection. Creative approaches, in particular, are crucial for addressing the complexities of a damaged environment and finding collective solutions. As one interviewee pointed out, envisioning positive futures for a topic long clouded by negativity is essential.

Design and illustration are now supporting this process.

*paludiculture is the sustainable cultivation of crops on wetland soils without draining them. For example, reeds or cattails can be economically used as insulation material [4].

References