Sustainability starts in the substrate

HORTICERT certification ensures that substrate raw materials are produced and processed sustainably and that their traceability along international supply chains is guaranteed. In addition, HORTICERT verifies the carbon footprint of certified products.

September 2024

HORTICERT Stakeholder Workshop

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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 certification system is developed and implemented by Meo Carbon Solutions GmbH on behalf of the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL), represented by the Agency for Renewable Resources (FNR).