FibreBroads

DEFRA award funding to new partnership project investigating how crops grown in wetlands (known as paludiculture) could provide sustainable income for Broads’ growers.

Following on from the CANAPE and Broads Peat Discovery, FibreBroads is a new project commencing in 2023 that will help overcome the barriers we identified as the most significant to adoption of paludiculture.

The project will:

Create further technical knowledge to grow crops via a paludiculture demonstrator and monitor the success of novel planting techniques.
Develop a spatial planning tool to help target communications and support engagement with the relevant farmers about farming options development and changes they could implement on their farm.
Create a streamlined process for water related permissions. This will support a simpler pathway through the regulatory process is needed for paludiculture options.
Develop the elements of a viable business model to be shared with farmers. Including markets assessment and discussions with investors.
Develop a prototype small scale building, and a network developed amongst relevant professionals (architects, engineers, and surveyors). A symposium to be held at Norwich University of the Arts (NUA), and a prototype installed in a public space in Norwich along with product visualisation.
Embed ‘FibreBroads’ as a strategic alliance of paludiculture enterprises which continues to advocate the restoration of peat in the Broads and in Norfolk. The legacy will be strengthened with our partners, including those in the Netherlands, Germany and Denmark as well as the UK including Fenland Soil, Somerset Levels, North West and the Great Fen Partnerships.