Land and Forest Iceland
One hundred thousand hectares since 2017
22nd March 2024
In a recent interview with the agricultural paper Bændablaðið, Gústav Magnús Ásbjörnsson, Head of Department for Ecological Restoration at Land and Forest Iceland, told that currently around four hundred farmers are active in land reclamation projects in cooperation with the agency. Gústav says that the connections and knowledge yielded by the land reclamation cooperation with farmers are beneficial for all land reclamation efforts in Iceland.
The article, written by journalist Steinunn Ásmundsdóttir, begins with a description of the project “Bændur græða landið” (Land Reclaimed by Farmers) where twelve hundred landowners have been involved since its initiation over thirty years ago. Now about four hundred participants are active.
Gústav tells about the various projects of Land and Forest Iceland which involve farmers in efforts for land reclamation. The basic strategy is to provide farmers and other landowners with assistance in improving the condition of land under their care and restoring ecosystems providing a wide range of services.
Formal cooperation with farmers on land reclamation began with the project Bændur græða landið in 1990 and the project focuses on areas adjacent to the active farmland on each farm in question. Land and forest Iceland provides both advice and grants. Subsequently, other projects have been implemented for land reform work, reclamation of wetlands, protection against water erosion and other subjects related to land use improvements, restoration of native birch ecosystems and more. The areas that have been worked on under the dedicated land reclamation projects with farmers have grown to 37 thousand hectares in size and in total the size of areas that have been worked on within cooperation projects directly since 2017 is roughly 100 thousand hectares, according to Gústav.
Gústav mentions that he would have liked to see the involvement of landowners in restoring wetlands moving at a faster pace, such efforts being among the most important ones in the battle with climate change. The interview discusses the development of the various projects already mentioned, such as by increasing the use of organic fertilizers. Also, Gústav mentions, a recognized SER-procedure is being implemented for restoring ecosystems.
More about this and other topics in the interview with Gústav Magnús Ásbjörnsson, Head of Department for Ecological Restoration, published in Bændablaðið on March 7, page 28.