PEAT

Peat is a natural organic material of botanical origin. Peatlands are situated predominately in shallow wetland areas of the Northern Hemisphere. Commercial deposits are formed from the gradual accumulation of plant matter that is partially decomposed under anaerobic conditions. In 2023, peat was known to be harvested in 10 states, with Florida, Michigan and Minnesota being the leading producing states. Although peat has been produced in Alaska, the current status of operations in Alaska is not known because the Alaska Department of Natural Resources, Division of Geological and Geophysical Surveys discontinued its survey of peat producers in Alaska. Production and consumption In 2023, domestic production of peat, excluding Alaska, was an estimated 360 kt, compared with the revised 350 kt in 2022. U.S. apparent consumption for 2023 decreased by 15 percent to 1,480 kt compared with 1,740 kt in 2022 (Fig. 1). World production was an estimated 23 Mt in 2023. Reed-sedge peat comprised approximately 87 percent of the reported production in the United States, followed by sphagnum moss, with 10 percent. Deposits of sphagnum moss in the United States occur primarily in the northern states, with active operations in Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Pennsylvania and Washington. The permitting procedures for new peat operations have become increasingly time-consuming and expensive, causing some companies to abandon harvesting and reducing the number of new fens and bogs brought into production. In addition, extensive areas of peatlands are in protected wetlands, parks or other natural areas that restrict commercial development. Demand for peat generally follows that of horticultural applications. Potting soil mixes and general soil improvement were the leading domestic end-use categories, accounting for about 90 percent of domestic peat sales. Sphagnum moss is preferred for custom soil mixes and for sale to retail consumers because of its more fibrous composition. More decomposed types of peat, such as reed-sedge or humus, are used primarily in bulk by commercial landscapers and on golf courses. In the industrial sector, peat was used as an oil absorbent and as an efficient filtration medium for the removal of waterborne contaminants in mine waste streams, municipal storm drainage and septic systems. Data for the end-use distribution of peat imported from Canada were unavailable, but the imported peat was sold both in bulk for soil blending and packaged for direct horticultural use. Packaged peat, regardless of origin, commanded a higher price than bulk sales. Trade According to the U.S. Census Bureau, imports decreased by 18 percent to 1.17 Mt in 2023 compared with 1.44 Mt in 2022, and exports were essentially unchanged at 42 kt in 2023 from 43 kt in 2022. More than 80 percent of all peat used in the United States was imported from Canada, which has extensive deposits of high-quality sphagnum moss. Figure 1 U.S. production, imports and apparent consumption of peat, 2000-2023 (Source: A.S. Brioche, Peat: U.S. Geological Survey Mineral Commodity Summaries 2024) Industry news and issues In 2023, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) distributed $35 million from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act to fund conservation and restoration projects. NOAA announced the awarded projects in April, one of which was a peatland conservation project in Alaska that planned to purchase 55 acres of peatland and recharge its water levels. Doing so was expected to also alleviate coastal erosion and safeguard the water quality of Kachemak Bay. Other conservation projects in the United States were done in partnership among conservation institutions and local and federal governments to restore peatlands in Minnesota and North Carolina. In Minnesota, research on how to restore peatlands was done in partnership with a conservation institute, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s U.S. Forest Service, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, the Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources, two local universities, and a local nonprofit organization. In North Carolina, work was done with various federal and state agencies and institutions to install water management infrastructure, including water control structures, to restore degraded peatlands. Finland, Germany, Sweden, Canada, Latvia and Belarus were the world’s top six leading peat producers, in descending order of production, based on estimated 2023 world production. Climate change concerns have prompted several countries to plan to decrease or eliminate the use of peat, owing to peatland’s ability to act as a carbon sink. Finland continued to work toward its goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2035. To achieve this, peat production was to be phased out in favor of noncarbon forms of energy. In the first half of 2023, only about 2 percent of Finland’s energy consumption was supplied by peat. Approximately 42 percent of Finland’s energy supply was generated using renewable energy sources, whereas 26 percent was produced by nuclear energy. Ireland announced the end of its peat harvesting in 2021, as the country transitioned to alternative fuel sources, but peat briquet production was expected to continue until 2024. In 2023, the country released a 30-year climate plan that aims to phase out coal- and peat-fired electricity generation. Instead, renewable energy sources were expected to generate approximately 80 percent of its electricity needs by 2030. In March 2023, the United Kingdom announced a delay on the ban of peat-based growing media sales to amateur gardeners that had been expected to start by 2024. Owing to concerns from the peat sector, the ban will be delayed until 2026, with some exemptions delayed until 2030 to prepare for the phaseout. Outlook Peatlands also are used for agriculture, forestry, recreation, and wildlife management. Factors such as the growing interest in gardening, golf course development, and landscaping related to residential use indicate that peat usage is likely to remain near current levels for the next several years. However, producers in the United States face increasing competition from imports of peat from Canada and alternative soil amendments, such as composted organic waste, coir (coconut fiber) and wood byproducts (for example, wood fiber and composted bark). The availability of alternative soil amendments as substitutes for peat will determine the future use of peat in different parts of the world. Peat production is expected to decrease across Europe during the coming years as peatland restoration efforts and use of alternative fuel sources increase. References U.S. Geological Survey, 2024, Mineral commodity summaries 2024—Peat: U.S. Geological Survey, p. 130–131, https://doi.org/10.3133/mcs2024. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 2023, Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Awards: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, https://coast.noaa.gov/funding/infrastructure/infrastructure-projects-nerrs.html. The Nature Conservancy, undated, Rise and Re-Peat—Restoring Minnesota’s Peatlands for Climate & Water: The Nature Conservancy, https://www.nature.org/en-us/about-us/where-we-work/united-states/minnesota/stories-inminnesota/peatland-restoration-study/. The Nature Conservancy, 2022, Saving North Carolina’s Peatlands: The Nature Conservancy, https://www.nature.org/en-us/about-us/where-we-work/united-states/north-carolina/stories-in-north-carolina/north-carolina-peatlands/. World Economic Forum, 2023, Finland is on track to meet some of the world’s most ambitious carbon neutrality targets—This is how it has done it: World Economic Forum, https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2023/06/finland-carbonneutral-2035-goals/. Statistics Finland, 2023, Total energy consumption by energy source, 2010Q1-2023Q2: Statistics Finland’s free-of-charge statistical databases, https://pxdata.stat.fi/PXWeb/pxweb/en/StatFin/StatFin__ehk/statfin_ehk_pxt_12st.px. The Irish Post, 2021, Bord na Móna to end peat harvesting operations in Ireland from 2024: The Irish Post, https://www.irishpost.com/news/bord-na-mona-to-end-peatharvesting-operations-in-ireland-from-2024-201733. The Journal, 2023, Ireland has finally released its 30-year climate plan—here’s what it says: The Journal, https://www.thejournal.ie/long-term-climate-strategy-6055747-Apr2023/. Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs, 2023, Media reporting on peat-ban for the professional Horticulture sector: United Kingdom Government, https://deframedia.blog.gov.uk/2023/03/24/media-reporting-on-peatban-for-the-professional-horticulture-sector/.

PEAT

Authored by:
Amanda S. Brioche

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