HORTICERT

🌱 2024: A Year of Milestones for HORTICERT 🌟 As 2024 comes to an end, we’re delighted to reflect on an eventful year for HORTICERT – our certification system for sustainable peat substitutes. Together with our partners and stakeholders, the Meo Carbon Solutions team has made significant progress in advancing the HORTICERT system. Let’s take a look at some of the key highlights of 2024: 🤝 Active Participation at Industry Events: This year, our team participated in numerous key events and workshops of the horticultural industry. We are grateful to have joined events hosted by 3N Kompetenzzentrum e.V.,  #TopGA, and VHE-Nord e.V. - Verband der Humus- und Erdenwirtschaft Region Nord e.V. as well as the prominent Industrieverband Garten e.V. (IVG) Branchentag Erden & Substrate. A further highlight was exhibiting alongside Fachagentur Nachwachsende Rohstoffe e.V. (FNR) at the IPM ESSEN, where we showcased HORTICERT and built valuable connections with numerous industry players. We look forward to exhibiting once again at IPM in January 2025! 🌴 Valuable Insights from the First Official Audits: Besides joining the first audits in Belgium and Germany, our team also travelled to India and Sri Lanka to accompany the first audits for coconut-based peat substitutes. This gave us an even deeper understanding of the industry and highlighted opportunities for the further improvement of the HORTICERT audit process. By incorporating these findings, we’ve further refined our certification system. ✅ First Certificates Issued: In 2024, we reached a vital milestone with the issuance of the first HORTICERT certificates, promoting sustainability in the use of peat substitutes and growing media. We are proud to recognize #Copertiz, #Eifeholz-AG, #GebrüderMayer (toom Baumarkt) and Gramoflor GmbH & Co. KG as pioneering companies leading the way to more sustainable practices in the horticultural industry. 🌍 HORTICERT Stakeholder Workshop: A special day for HORTICERT was hosting our first in-person stakeholder workshop in Berlin. The workshop fostered constructive discussions with industry leaders, researchers, and NGOs, providing fresh perspectives on the future of sustainable peat substitutes and ways to further expand our certification system. 🚀 Transitioning to Regular Operations: Overall, this year marked our transition to regular operations. In doing so, we are helping to ensure the sustainability of peat substitutes and growing media along international supply chains and increasing market transparency. We look forward to continuing our collaboration with all of you as we work together to strengthen sustainable practices in the horticultural industry. 🌱 👉 Follow us to join our journey in 2025! #HORTICERT #CertificationSystem #Sustainability #PeatSubstitutes #EndOfYearReview #GrowingMedia #ipmessen2025

🌱 HORTICERT at IVG Branchentag – Ready to Certify Sustainable Peat Substitutes 🪴 Last week, our team members Katrin Jaeger and Leon Wienbeck had the privilege of participating in the IVG Branchentag Erden & Substrate in the picturesque German Ammerland. The event brought together over 200 industry professionals, who participated in engaging discussions and contributed with inspiring presentations on pressing issues like aligning political ambitions with practical realities, advancing sustainable practices, and climate change. We were delighted to present #HORTICERT in this context, showcasing its role in promoting sustainable growing media by certifying peat substitutes. Among other topics, our presentation provided insights into the latest developments of HORTICERT, including recently issued certificates and the newly published fee structure. A sincere thank you to Industrieverband Garten e.V. (IVG) for organizing this insightful event and providing a platform for meaningful exchanges about diverse topics that shape the future of the horticultural industry. We look forward to continuing these important conversations and contribute to a sustainable future! 🌱 #HORTICERT #IVGBranchentag #CertificationSystem #PeatSubstitutes #Horticulture #Sustainability Photo credits: IVG / Akka Olthoff

🌱 HORTICERT Interview: A Certification System for Sustainable Peat Substitutes 🌱 We’re excited to share an insightful interview with our team member, Markus Bockholt, recently published by UBi - Unternehmen Biologische Vielfalt! In this interview, conducted by Global Nature Fund, Markus provides valuable insights into how HORTICERT is facilitating the certification of peat substitutes while promoting transparency and sustainability across global supply chains. Key topics included: ◼ The mission behind HORTICERT and what drives the project forward ◼The importance of certifying peat substitutes and what sets HORTICERT apart ◼ An overview of the certification process and requirements for businesses ◼ HORTICERT’s role in protecting biodiversity ◼ Future plans for the project and the evolution of sustainable standards Check out the full interview (in German) to learn how HORTICERT can help your company lead the way in sustainable horticulture. 🔗 https://lnkd.in/eKAACNCa We would like to thank Global Nature Fund for the opportunity to participate in this interview! #HORTICERT #CertificationSystem #Sustainability #Biodiversity #PeatFree #PeatSubstitutes #SupplyChainTransparency #EnvironmentalInnovation

📣 HORTICERT Fee Structure is Now Available! 📣 We’re pleased to share that the HORTICERT fee structure is now available on our website! At HORTICERT, we’re committed to transparency, which is why we openly share our certification fee structure, ensuring clear and accessible information for every interested party. Generally, HORTICERT distinguishes between two primary fee categories for System Users: 1️⃣ Certification Fee: This fee is due once per issued certificate and is based on your company’s annual turnover. 2️⃣ Quantity-Dependent Fee: This fee is to be paid for the amount of material sold as certified and depends on the type of material. Additionally, fees for the certification body conducting the audit will be invoiced separately. These costs may vary depending on the provider. Visit our website to explore the full details of our fee structure today! 👉 https://lnkd.in/eCPHS2yD #HORTICERT #CertificationSystem #PeatSubstitutes #Horticulture #Sustainability

📣 HORTICERT in the News!   We are excited to share that HORTICERT has been featured in several recent articles. 🎉   🗞️ Handelsblatt published an article on the certification of Erdenwerk Gebrüder Mayer, part of toom Baumarkt:  https://lnkd.in/eTKfQ2xF   🗞️ 'DEGA Gartenbau' and 'GABOT', two leading horticulture portals, highlighted the certification of Gramoflor GmbH & Co. KG: https://lnkd.in/eTCMB_by  https://lnkd.in/etBeh2n7   We are grateful for the media attention on our first certifications. At HORTICERT, our goal is to provide certifications that ensure that consumers can make informed decisions about the sustainability of peat alternatives, so increasing our outreach is a key focus.   If you come across any other news coverage, please share it with us. We would love to include it in the news section of our website: https://lnkd.in/efYTq_46   #HORTICERT #Sustainability #Transparency #Certification #PeatSubstitutes #SustainableSubstrates #SustainableGrowingMedia #Horticulture

🌿 Conclusion of the First HORTICERT Public Consultation   Thank you to all stakeholders, industry professionals, and certification bodies who contributed to the first consultation phase of the HORTICERT System Documents. Your insights and expertise are essential in helping us shape a certification system that meets the highest standards of transparency, sustainability, and accuracy. 👏   With your valuable input, we now proceed to refining the HORTICERT System Documents. Once revisions are complete, we will launch a second round of public consultation, which will include German versions of all documents. This phase will provide stakeholders with the opportunity to review how their initial feedback was interpreted and addressed, and to contribute additional insights on any unresolved issues.   Thank you for helping us shape the future of HORTICERT! 👉 Access to the System Documents is still possible through the following link: https://lnkd.in/eRuAr4FA   #HORTICERT #Sustainability #Certification #PublicConsultation #SystemDocuments #PeatSubstitutes

📄 FNR Press Release on HORTICERT Stakeholder Workshop We are thrilled to share the press release by Fachagentur Nachwachsende Rohstoffe e.V. (FNR) on our 7th HORTICERT Stakeholder workshop. For our English-speaking followers, find a brief summary below! 🌿 With the launch of the HORTICERT certification for sustainable peat substitutes, the first seven companies have officially received their certificates. Several other organizations are currently in the process toward achieving certification. 🔍 HORTICERT certification ensures that potting soils and horticultural substrates are produced sustainably and can be traced through international supply chains. Up to 140 criteria are evaluated per location, ensuring both environmentally socially responsible practices. 🌍 The peat content in hobby potting soils from Germany has significantly decreased from 60 % to around 41 % between 2019 and 2023, reflecting a rapid transition away from peat use. Notably, the HORTICERT-certified peat-free potting soil from toom Baumarkt reduces CO2 emissions by up to 40 % compared to a reference product made of 100 % peat. 📈 Pathways to Sustainability: Whether it’s wood fibers, bark humus, coir fibers, or green waste compost – these organic peat alternatives can already be certified under HORTICERT. Efforts are underway to integrate even more peat substitutes into the HORTICERT system. https://lnkd.in/ein2DmzX #HORTICERT #Horticulture #Sustainability #StakeholderWorkshop #Innovation #Certification 

The next HORTICERT Auditor Training is just around the corner! 📅 Join us online on 21 October for an in-depth session covering the HORTICERT system requirements, including our sustainability criteria, GHG methodology, and the digital traceability system HORTI-TRACE, among other things. You are an auditor and are interested in conducting HORTICERT audits or a company interested in obtaining HORTICERT certification? Feel free to contact us via LinkedIn or info@horticert.org to join this training or sign up for the next one. #Sustainability #Auditing #HORTICERT #Training #AuditorTraining

Milestone Moment: HORTICERT Awards First Certificates at 7th Stakeholder Workshop 🌱 Yesterday, we proudly hosted our 7th HORTICERT stakeholder workshop – our first-ever hybrid event with around 80 participants from the horticulture sector, NGOs, and public institutions joining both in person and online. It was a pleasure to welcome many attendees in Berlin at the Bundesministerium für Ernährung und Landwirtschaft. A heartfelt thank you to all stakeholders for their active engagement and valuable contributions. Your collaboration is key to the continuous evolution of HORTICERT. Special thanks to Fachagentur Nachwachsende Rohstoffe e.V. (FNR) for their outstanding support in organizing the event. A major highlight of the day: awarding the very first official HORTICERT certificates to Gebrüder Mayer (toom Baumarkt, REWE Group), Gramoflor GmbH & Co. KG, @Eifelholz AG, and @Copertiz. Huge congratulations on this important milestone! The workshop also provided valuable updates on HORTICERT's progress, with inspiring insights from the pioneer companies about their certification journeys, as well as informative presentations on ecological and social sustainability requirements from our NGO partners Welthungerhilfe (WHH), Global Nature Fund, and Bodensee-Stiftung Stiftung. With the first certificates issued, HORTICERT has now successfully entered regular operation – but our journey is far from over! Engaging panel discussions highlighted key focus areas for the future, including: - Advancing research on GHG emissions from compost - Aligning with upcoming EU regulations like EUDR, CSRD, and the Green Claims Directive - Increasing numbers of system users and enhancing international reach - Incorporating more peat substitutes into HORTICERT Exciting developments lie ahead – stay tuned for what’s next! #HORTICERT #Horticulture #Sustainability #StakeholderWorkshop #Innovation #Certification #ThankYou

🌿Two weeks ago, our team had the great opportunity to participate in the #ToPGa Transferworkshop, where we had the chance to connect with key market players, including tree nurseries, and present our certification system, HORTICERT.   As an international certification system for peat substitutes, #HORTICERT plays a crucial role in promoting sustainability across the international supply chains of peat substitutes. HORTICERT certification ensures the sustainable production and processing of substrate raw materials while also verifying the carbon footprint of products.   A special thanks goes to Anja Kretzschmann for organizing this insightful workshop and giving us the chance to contribute!