Growing media report lays building blocks for progress

A new report has been released recommending a holistic approach to solving the challenges facing the horticulture industries reliance on growing media.

The chairman of Defra’s Sustainable Growing Media Task Force, Dr Alan Knight, released a report setting out his thoughts on the work of the Task Force over the last 12 months, the challenges ahead and a draft roadmap showing how his proposals can be taken forward.

The report highlights the work that has been achieved by the Task Force, and gives a realistic appraisal of the issues around increasing the use of environmentally and socially responsible growing media in horticulture.

NFU horticulture adviser Dr Chris Hartfield said: “The NFU has been lobbying for several years to ensure that the approach taken on this issue deals with all growing media and not just peat. More specifically, that the approach taken is evidence-based to ensure environmental benefits are delivered hand-in-hand with economic benefits for growers’ businesses.

“While this report doesn’t represent Government policy, it is encouraging to see that it takes on board both the evidence and the commercial realities, and makes it clear that any changes in growing media use will need to be economically sustainable for growers’ businesses. This means the costs of change will need to be shared by the entire supply chain. The NFU believes that Government also has a role to play in supporting research and development to help the industry change its growing media use.

“Having such an independent appraisal is something the growing media debate has lacked to date. It is a good platform to build further change on.

“We will be spending the coming weeks discussing the report with our members, and feeding growers views back to Alan Knight ahead of the Task Force meeting planned for 11 September 2012.”