PEATLESS presented at The Mushroom Days 2026
The PEATLESS project was presented at The Mushroom Days 2026 / Champignondagen, one of the key international trade fairs for the mushroom industry. The event took place from 22 to 24 April 2026 at Brabanthallen, ’s-Hertogenbosch, in the Netherlands, bringing together mushroom growers, suppliers, technology providers, researchers, innovators and other stakeholders from across the sector.
For PEATLESS, the fair offered an important opportunity to increase the project’s visibility, connect with the mushroom value chain and observe how the sector is approaching the challenge of reducing peat use in mushroom cultivation.
PEATLESS in the Island of Science
Project partners CTICH and INAGRO attended the event with a stand in the Island of Science area, where PEATLESS was presented alongside other research organisations working on innovation and sustainability in the mushroom sector.
Throughout the event, the stand provided a space to introduce the project to interested stakeholders, exchange views with growers, suppliers, researchers and innovators, and share PEATLESS’ work on sustainable alternatives to peat-based growing media.
The participation also helped position the project within wider sector conversations around the future of mushroom cultivation and the need to identify viable, practical and sustainable solutions for reducing peat dependency.
Growing interest in alternatives to peat
The Mushroom Days 2026 highlighted a growing interest across the mushroom industry in reducing peat use, testing alternative materials and improving the environmental performance of cultivation systems.
Several research groups and companies attending the event appeared to be exploring similar directions, including alternative materials, reduced peat content and new approaches to growing media. Some participating companies also showcased products based on alternative materials or lower peat content, reflecting the increasing attention being given to this topic across the sector.
This momentum is highly relevant for PEATLESS, which aims to contribute to the development and uptake of sustainable, locally available growing materials that can reduce peat use in horticulture, including mushroom production. The project focuses on helping overcome technical, social and economic barriers to the adoption of low-peat alternatives.
Why this event matters for PEATLESS
Participation in The Mushroom Days 2026 allowed PEATLESS partners to gather insights from the wider mushroom sector and better understand how different actors are addressing the transition towards more sustainable growing media solutions.
The event also confirmed that the sector is increasingly looking at collaboration, innovation and practical testing as key elements to minimise peat use while maintaining viable production systems.
For PEATLESS, this type of exchange is essential. The project works to reduce peat use in horticulture by promoting sustainable alternatives and supporting their uptake in professional production systems such as mushrooms, seedlings and ornamentals.
Strengthening PEATLESS communication and dissemination
The presence of CTICH and INAGRO at The Mushroom Days 2026 forms part of PEATLESS’ wider communication and dissemination activities. It also contributes to one of the project’s planned attendances at reference conferences and fairs, helping strengthen the project’s connection with industry actors and research communities.
By participating in a major international meeting point for the mushroom industry, PEATLESS continues to build visibility, gather sector insights and contribute to ongoing conversations on how to move towards more sustainable mushroom cultivation systems.
The event showed that reducing peat use is becoming an increasingly relevant topic for the sector, and PEATLESS aims to contribute to this transition by supporting knowledge exchange, testing alternatives and identifying solutions that are both sustainable and practical for growers.
