Sustainability starts in the substrate
By certifying sustainable and climate-friendly peat substitutes, HORTICERT supports peat reduction and thus contributes to an environmentally friendly horticultural industry with reduced greenhouse gas emissions.
Peatland Protection is Climate Protection
Globally, peat is still the most widely used raw material for potting soils and growing media. However, peat extraction in drained peatlands is associated with high greenhouse gas emissions.
Peat is created by the accumulation non- or barely decomposed organic material in the absence of oxygen. This process occurs in intact, water-saturated peatlands. Intact peatlands bind six times more carbon in the soil than forests in the same area. Therefore, they are crucial for climate protection.
The project for the development and implementation of an international certification system for peat substitutes is funded by the German Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL) based on a decision by the Federal German Parliament. Under the leadership of the Agency for Renewable Resources (Fachagentur für Nachwachsende Rohstoffe e.V., FNR), Meo Carbon Solutions GmbH is carrying out the project.