Climate protection or agricultural production site? How political actors frame the future use of German peatlands

Abstract Drained peatlands are a major source of agricultural greenhouse gas emissions in Germany. To eliminate a large proportion of these emissions, they need to be rewetted, which requires substantial change in land use. Respective plans are causing conflict between stakeholders and are subject of a political debate. This article analyses frames in the debate on the future use of currently drained peatlands in Germany by studying public textual communications from political stakeholders between 2019 and 2022. Three frames are identified: (1) an environmental frame, emphasising environmental protection, which is most commonly used by environmental interest groups, the government and in party communication; (2) an entrepreneurial frame, portraying farmers as change makers, which is mainly used by a landscape management association, but also in government communication; (3) a socio-economic threat frame, which perceives farmers as threatened by peatland rewetting policies, and which is mainly present in farmers’ associations. All actors recognise peatland rewetting as an effective climate change mitigation measure. Most actors also agree that land users have a role to play in the process of reducing emissions from agricultural peatlands. While the environmental and socio-economic threat frames assign land users a rather passive role in the land-use change process, the entrepreneurial frame portrays land users as agents of change. We conclude that politicians, policy makers and other stakeholders may benefit from strengthening and refining an entrepreneurial frame. Such a frame would consider the opportunities and challenges of future peatland uses and facilitate land user agency, reconciling economic and environmental objectives.