resources Article Common Reed for Thatching in Northern Germany: Estimating the Market Potential of Reed of Regional Origin Lea Becker, Sabine Wichmann and Volker Beckmann * Faculty of Law and Economics & Institute of Botany and Landscape Ecology, University of Greifswald, Soldmannstr. 15, D-17489 Greifswald, Germany;
[email protected] (L.B.);
[email protected] (S.W.) * Correspondence:
[email protected]; Tel.: +49-3834-420-4122 Received: 1 October 2020; Accepted: 12 December 2020; Published: 16 December 2020 Abstract: Reed has a long tradition as locally available thatching material, but nowadays thatch is a globally traded commodity. Germany and other major importing countries such as the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and Denmark rely on high import rates to meet the national consumption. This study aimed at providing a detailed picture of the thatching reed market in Northern Germany and at assessing the market potential for reed of regional origin. A written survey among all thatchers in Northern Germany was carried out in 2019, arriving at an effective sample of 47 out of 141 companies. The results revealed that for the responding companies the majority of the reed (59%) was used for rethatching roofs completely, 24% for newly constructed roofs, and 17% for roof repairs. Reed from Germany held a low share of 17% of the total consumption in 2018. Own reed harvesting was conducted by less than 9% of the responding companies and given up during the last decades by another 26%. The total market volume of reed for thatching in Northern Germany was estimated for 2018 with a 95% confidence interval at 3 0.8 million bundles of reed with a monetary value at ± sales prices of ¿11.6 2.8 million.