Peatlands exist in all countries in Europe and Central Asia including Russia, which has the largest coverage of peatlands in the world. FAO reports that not only are these rare ecosystems at risk, but in their current condition they are often contributing to climate change.

Peatlands are wetlands with a thick layer of organic soil, composed of decayed plant material, or “peat.” While peatlands cover just three percent of all land area worldwide, they store 30 percent of the Earth’s soil carbon. Plant and animal biodiversity flourish in these rare ecosystems, too. Natural peatlands are used for collection of berries (cranberry and cloudberry), mushrooms and medicinal plants.