HORTICERT at IPM ESSEN 2025: Advancing Sustainable Horticulture

The HORTICERT team proudly returned to the International Plant Fair  (IPM) ESSEN 2025 for the second time, reaffirming its commitment to advancing sustainable and peat-free substrates in horticulture. The IPM has established itself as a key platform for the international exchange of ideas and innovations in horticulture and proved to be particularly eventful for HORTICERT once again this year. This leading industry event provided an invaluable opportunity to engage with leading experts, partners, and new stakeholders, fostering meaningful discussions on the future of certification and sustainability in the sector.

A Platform for Collaboration and Progress

This year’s event was marked by inspiring exchanges with longstanding project partners, companies newly interested in certification, industry leaders and new stakeholders. The enthusiasm surrounding sustainable growing media was evident, with a strong focus on transparency of supply chains and greenhouse has emissions of peat substitutes and substrates.

Among the event’s highlights, some of the first companies to receive HORTICERT certification showcased their credentials. Gramoflor GmbH & Co. KG and Eifelholz-AG integrated the HORTICERT logo into their booth designs, reinforcing their commitment to sustainability.
 
Another major milestone was the introduction of the first peat-free substrate packaging. toom Baumarkt provided HORTICERT with foils for the first certified peat-free potting soils, which will soon be available in their stores. This allowed the team to highlight the new packaging during the event, demonstrating the tangible impact of certification on product development.
 
Meo Carbon Solutions‘ senior project manager, Julia Ostrowski, further took the stage at the Innovation Center for Horticultural Technology to present “HORTICERT is ready — certification for sustainable substrates and transparent supply chains.” She shared the latest advancements within HORTICERT, highlighting the growing importance of certified sustainable substrates and their role in shaping a more responsible horticulture industry.

“The IPM was a complete success for us,” says Julia Ostrowski, reflecting on the event’s success. “Through our presentation at the Innovation Center for Horticultural Technology and the support of our system users, we were able to reach and hopefully convince many new companies. The great interest in sustainable materials in substrates and the generally positive feedback once again underlined the importance of certification for sustainable substrate production. We will continue to develop HORTICERT in close cooperation with our stakeholders.”

Engaging in Conversations About the Future

In addition to Meo Carbon Solutions’ project managers, the company’s managing director, Dr. Norbert Schmitz, was also present and engaged in discussions on the future of sustainable horticulture. His participation underscored the importance of certification in driving industry-wide change and promoting environmentally responsible practices.
 
As IPM ESSEN continues to serve as a key platform for shaping the future of horticulture, HORTICERT is excited to be part of the movement toward more sustainable growing media and certification solutions. The event reaffirmed its commitment to innovation, collaboration and the ongoing development of transparent, sustainable supply chains in horticulture. HORTICERT looks forward to continuing these important conversations and driving further progress in the industry.

Julia Ostrowski (Meo Carbon Solutions GmbH) presented HORTICERT  at the Innovation Center Horticulture Technology during the IPM Essen 2025. She presented on “HORTICERT is ready — certification for sustainable substrates and transparent supply chains.”

Header image (from left): Markus Bockholt and Julia Ostrowski (both from Meo Carbon Solutions GmbH) at the HORTICERT booth next to the first peat-free substrate packaging provided by toom Baumarkt.

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