WHY REDUCE PEAT USE?
The urgent need to protect peatlands and rethink horticulture
Peat is widely used in horticulture due to its excellent growing properties—but its extraction comes at a high environmental cost. The continued reliance on peat threatens Europe’s climate goals, its biodiversity, and the resilience of our food systems.
By reducing peat use, we can protect vital carbon sinks, restore damaged ecosystems, and build a more sustainable future for European horticulture.
The Problem at a Glance
Peatlands in decline
Europe’s peatlands store twice as much carbon as all the forests in the world combined—yet they are being drained and destroyed. This leads to a devastating loss of biodiversity, soil degradation and the collapse of unique ecosystems.
Peat fuels climate change
Peatlands cover just 3% of the Earth’s surface but emit 5–6% of global greenhouse gases when drained. Continued extraction directly undermines efforts to reach net-zero targets.
Horticulture depends on peat
Peat remains a widely used growing medium across Europe. As food production demands grow, so does the pressure on peat resources—underlining the importance of advancing sustainable alternatives.
Demonstrating Change Across Europe
Real-world trials in key horticultural regions
WHAT ARE THE OBSTACLES?
What’s holding horticulture back from going peat-free—and how PEATLESS is changing that
Despite growing awareness, many growers still face real-world challenges when trying to reduce peat use. From performance concerns to economic risks, the transition isn’t simple.
PEATLESS is here to unlock progress—through practical innovation, local support, and policy-ready evidence.
Technical
Alternative substrates often struggle to match peat’s performance. Materials vary in availability, consistency, and quality—making large-scale replacement a challenge.
Socio-Cultural
Growers need trusted knowledge, hands-on training and proven results to feel confident. Habits and perceptions take time (and evidence) to shift.
Economic
High upfront costs, thin profit margins and little policy support make it risky for growers and producers to change the status quo.
Are you a grower, advisor or curious innovator?
Join the Grower Community on WhatsApp
Get real-time updates, share experiences, and ask questions in our dedicated WhatsApp group—built for those on the frontline of the peat-free transition.
Available channels in talian, Spanish, German and Dutch (coming soon).
Click below and join your preferred channel!
Smart monitoring for peat-free substrates: first trials in PEATLESS
Explore how smart monitoring trials in the PEATLESS project are advancing peat-free substrates and supporting more sustainable growing media.
Co-creation Worksops for a Greener Future
On 27 August, the CTICH facilities hosted a co-creation workshop as part of the PEATLESS project. The event was attended by more than 20 representatives from different parts of the mushroom sector value chain [...]
Growing greener: new project seeks to reduce peat use in horticulture
PEATLESS is an EU-funded project coordinated by the Technological Research Centre for Mushrooms of La Rioja (CTICH), involving 12 partners from 4 countries. This initiative seeks to demonstrate low-peat substrate blends in 3 key [...]
