The International Association of Horticultural Producers (AIPH) members consist of thousands of growers of flowers and ornamental plants around the world who are together united by one essential goal – promoting the place of plants in people’s lives.
AIPH hosts several conferences, webinars and events such as the International Grower of the Year award throughout the year. Read about these along with the latest news about the association’s activities.
AIPH’s key aim is to stimulate demand for ornamental trees, plants and flowers worldwide. We are committed to supporting growers in achieving this by protecting and promoting the interests of the industry.
Potted flower seedlings growing in biodegradable peat moss pots. Zero waste, recycling, plastic free gardening concept. Transplanting seedlings top view mock up.
David Lydiat is the Public Affairs and Policy Manager at the Horticultural Trade Association (HTA), which represents the UK garden industry. For FCI’s May 2024 issue, he wrote about the UK going peat-free.
David Lydiat is the Public Affairs & Policy Manager at the Horticultural Trade Association (HTA).
“In England and Wales, The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra)has proposed a ban on the sale of peat in horticulture. The ban is intended to be implemented by the end of 2024 for bagged growing media at retail settings and by the end of 2026 for growers. However, despite the initial announcement in March 2023, the Government has not yet introduced a bill in Parliament to enforce this ban. It is anticipated that this issue will be revisited after the general election. However, attempts are currently being made to progress this by a backbench private member bill.
The Scottish Government intend to bring a bill to parliament to ban peat in horticulture. The intention is to ban the retail sale of peat for home gardening first before considering how a wider ban would affect commercial users. Following a meeting with the HTA, the Scottish Cabinet Secretary wrote to the Defra Secretary of State, writing that 2026 was too soon and that an agreement on a date gives the industry sufficient time to transition.
A proposal to ban peat compost in Northern Ireland by 2025 was removed in DAERA’s peatland strategy.
The HTA is firmly committed to guiding and supporting its members in preparing for a peat-free future. While the HTA may not agree with the need for a ban, it recognises the importance of transitioning to a sustainable peat-free industry. To this end, the HTA is actively lobbying the UK government to secure comprehensive support for the industry. This includes advocating for grants for technical equipment to facilitate peat-free growing, financial assistance for businesses transitioning to peat-free alternatives, and support for research and development of sustainable growing media. Additionally, the HTA organises regular peat-free growing workshops to support and share knowledge and best practices with its members. HTA members are leading the way in peat-free growing media trials, including one in partnership with the RHS and funded by Defra, which is making a positive impact on the transition. However, it’s important to note that this trial will conclude in October 2027 (after a proposed ban deadline).
As businesses gear up for an anticipated ban on peat for horticulture use, they are grappling with significant investments in building new supply chains, upgrading machinery, trialling production in peat-free media, fine-tuning production cycles, and developing new irrigation and feeding regimes to transition to a fully peat-free future. This is a complex and time-consuming process that cannot be achieved overnight.
Undoubtedly, there is no direct substitute that matches the quality of peat for use in growing media in terms of physical structure, chemical and biological makeup, moisture and nutrient retention properties, and its all-around performance in producing a wide range of crops. The task of transitioning from a system that has been developed over many decades to produce £1.6 billion of plants and trees needed to supply Britain’s 30 million gardeners and to green our cities to help adapt to climate change is indeed a monumental one.
Successfully becoming 100 per cent peat-free is a real challenge to produce the same range of plants and trees at the quality and scale needed to meet both market demand and environmental targets.
This could potentially lead to a shortage of plants and trees, impacting the industry’s ability to meet market demand and environmental targets.
HTA recognises it is essential to continue research and development to create sustainable and effective alternatives to peat. This includes finding ways to maintain the stability of peat-free mix blends over time, ensuring that they provide the necessary nutrients for plant growth, and developing strategies to prevent nutrient deficiencies.
Meanwhile, industry data indicates that the use of peat has reached a historic low, with the peat content in bags of growing media sold at retail dropping below 17 per cent in 2022 and projected to be close to zero by the end of 2024. Bagged retail growing media accounted for 70 per cent of the peat sold in the UK in 2022, marking a substantial reduction in overall peat use.”
Floristry professionals, academics, researchers, and environmental auditors will gather in Coventry Cathedral on 26 September to witness the launch of a…
