”Richer Water” – A Project for Sustainability and Innovation
What is Richer Water? Richer Water is a LEADER project that was initiated in 2020 and runs until the end of 2024. The project is a collaboration between Upplandsbygd Lokalt Ledd Utveckling, the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), Sjöutsikt Sverige AB and Ecopelag. The goal is to address the environmental challenges of the Baltic Sea, with a particular focus on combating eutrophication. By developing innovative methods for harvesting reeds and cultivating mussels, which can then be converted into, among other things, animal feed, the project aims to reduce nutrient leakage to the sea. This circular method of nutrient recycling from water to land-based production has the potential to not only improve the marine environment, but also create new jobs and businesses in the region. The project also promotes networking and knowledge exchange between entrepreneurs and associations engaged in circular production, nature conservation, blue-green industries and nature-based tourism.
Through Upplandbygd's local network, there was the opportunity to contribute to initiatives that can make the Baltic Sea cleaner and promote entrepreneurship with local collaborations. Part of the project is the collaboration with Sjöutsikt Sverige AB and SLU. The idea of harvesting reeds for animal feed originally started with SLU and other actors, and when Sjöutsikt Sverige AB became aware of this, they contacted a researcher at SLU to discuss further possibilities. SLU, which had already initiated the 'Richer Water' project together with Upplandsbygd, then had an established basis for exploring and developing the idea. By combining their cutting-edge expertise and research support, we have been able to create reliable results, and the collaboration has been crucial to the success of the project. Several organizations that also work and are passionate about these issues, such as Race For The Baltic, WWF, Kivik, Apotea and others, have also been partners in the development of the work that Sjöutsikt AB and SLU have pursued with our support.
Sustainable reed harvesting, reed fodder and its ecological benefits
Reeds, and especially broadleaf reeds, are one of the most widespread plants in Sweden's coastal landscape. The project has focused on harvesting this resource during the period from July to early September. The harvest is done by cutting the reeds approximately 15 cm above the water surface, which means that only the finest part of the reed plant is used. This creates a high-quality feed with a high content of crude protein. After harvesting, the reeds are ensiled directly, a process that produces a feed with a low dry matter content compared to many other roughages for horses. The dry matter content of the ensiled reed feed is usually between 30-40 %, which provides longer eating times for the horses, especially for light-breeding breeds such as Icelandic horses and Russ, which SLU has carried out studies on. These studies show that reed feed has a similar digestibility of nutrients as other roughages, but with the advantage that it contributes to longer eating times and a reduced risk of overfeeding. Feed from reeds has also proven to be an excellent complement to traditional pasture feed. The 4H farm in Vallentuna reports that thanks to the reeds they can now feed their horses free access at night without having to worry about overeating. The horses also get a large amount of minerals and electrolytes from the reeds, which has led to the amount of mineral and protein supplements being reduced. In periods when the horses have eaten larger amounts of reeds, only selenium has been needed as a supplement.
In addition to the economic and nutritional benefits of reed fodder, the project has also shown significant ecological benefits. Reeds are an important habitat for many birds, fish and other animals, but too much reed can create large monotonous areas with low biodiversity. Preliminary research from SLU shows that harvesting reeds increases light transmission in the aquatic environment and benefits wading birds in harvested areas at low tide. An increased occurrence of pike and tench has also been noted in these areas. An unexpected but welcome effect of reed harvesting is also an increase in filamentous algae where the reed has been harvested. Overall, reed harvesting appears to be able to increase biodiversity in coastal bays and act as a way to return nutrients from eutrophic bays back to land-based production.
Sjöutsikt Sverige AB Exchange of experience – Baltic Sea Days 2024:
As an important part of the Richer Water project, we organized the ”Baltic Sea Days 2024” in Upplandsbygd, together with Sjöutsikt AB, at the end of August. The event built on the success of the Baltic Sea Day 2023, where Crown Princess Victoria herself participated and actively helped harvest and bale reeds, which put the spotlight on the project’s innovative work. With increasing interest in our sustainability efforts, we chose to expand this year’s event, which attracted over 100 participants over two days filled with inspiration and networking. Participants were given a unique chance to follow Sjöutsikt Sverige AB out onto the water and witness their groundbreaking technology for harvesting and processing reeds in real operation. This practical demonstration showed how reeds, often considered waste, can be transformed into a valuable resource – an important step towards a more circular economy. The Baltic Sea Days 2024 also served as a platform for networking and inspiration. Representatives from the public sector, non-profit organizations, companies and research institutions gathered here to exchange ideas and discuss future collaborations. Among the participating organizations were: Baltic Reed, Race for the Baltic, Icelandic Horse Association, Horse Industry, Ridsport Newspaper, RICE, Axfoundation, SLU, Marina Läroverket, Vallentuna Municipality, Uppsala Municipality, Framtidens Material and Hammarhagens Odlare. Together we explored new opportunities for sustainable rural development, focusing on how reeds can play a central role in this work. The event marked another step forward in our joint work to improve the health of the Baltic Sea while supporting local entrepreneurship and innovation.
The Richer Water project has not only succeeded in developing innovative solutions to address eutrophication in the Baltic Sea, but has also created new opportunities for local entrepreneurship and sustainable development. We look forward to continuing this work and hope that more local initiatives can be inspired by our success and contribute to a sustainable future for both sea and land.
