SoMoMed - The sundew and the cloudberry as medicinal plants in paludiculture

Project background

The SoMoMed project focuses on research into the sustainable production of sundew and cloudberry on peat mosses in paludiculture. Sundew has been used for centuries as a medicinal plant for the treatment of respiratory diseases, and cloudberry is a much used superfood in Northern Europe due to its high vitamin C and E content.
The raw material demand for sundew and cloudberry in Europe is mainly met by wild collection, but wild collection as a source of raw material is unsustainable and endangers natural stocks in the long term. There are therefore many reasons to promote the regional cultivation of both plants. Sundew and cloudberry are typical of wet, nutrient-poor raised bogs and can therefore be grown in combination with peat mosses on rewetted bogs. This climate-friendly cultivation (paludiculture) represents an alternative to conventional drainage-based agricultural peatland use, which is associated with high greenhouse gas emissions. Genetic characterisation of selected European species with respect to medicinal compounds and productivity will provide a basis for breeding selection. Varieties with high active ingredient content and high productivity can be selected for further cultivation trials. By optimising the cultivation conditions, active ingredient content and biomass yield can be further improved.

Aims of the project

Economic and environmental analysis is essential for research into sustainable cultivation. Therefore

1. Analyse the market potential of the crops
2. determine the costs of cultivation
3. estimate the ecological impact and
4. develop sustainable business models along the value chain.

The assessments will feed into the development of sustainable business models for the cultivation of sundew and cloudberry in paludiculture.