The global peat market amounts to 1,9 Billion $ annually, and the demand for peat is increasing particularly central Europe and China.
The soft, brown, crumbly substance thats formed from organic matter in wet bogs is in high demand for agriculture and gardening. Adding it to soils improve improves water storage and helps plant fight bacteria.
But there's a downside: Drying peat means that the CO2 that's enclosed is released. Millions of tons of CO2 from peat are already getting into the atmosphere every year, speeding up global warming.
Experts warn that the remaining peat bogs in the world are being destroyed rapidly, even though they currently store twice the amount of carbon compared to the planet's forests.
In Germany, there are now efforts to keep the remaining peat in the ground and find more sustainable alternatives. But that's driving demand to source it from other countries.
Reporter: Toni Neumann / Presenter: Neil King