Hidden Emissions: The Overlooked Climate Cost of Farming Canada’s Peatlands

Canada, home to nearly one-quarter of the world’s peatlands, holds an estimated 150 gigatonnes of carbon in these waterlogged soils [2]. Despite their ecological significance, a growing share of these landscapes is being altered for agriculture—particularly in southern regions [3]. This transformation releases greenhouse gases (GHGs) that have long gone underreported, raising concerns about the climate consequences of land use decisions in a warming world [4].