Defra consultation – banning the retail sale of peat for horticulture
Date Published: 11th March 2022
Defra are requesting input to their current consultation on banning the retail sale of peat for use in horticulture.
Peat is an brilliant medium for growing plants in. It retains moisture and I’m sure that many growers (including domestic ones) would struggle to produce a decent plant without it. However, it’s also a massive storer of carbon holding a quarter of the worlds soil carbon. That’s impressive when it covers just 3% of the soil on earth.
Peat also has many other benefits for humans and wildlife with peatlands providing 25% of our water in the UK and being a protection against flooding. It’s also a vital habitat for many kinds of wildlife. The thing is, creating a peat bog takes many thousands of years, yet it can be destroyed very quickly.
80% of our peatlands have been degraded in some way and this is a big problem climate change, the planet, and us. Peat landscape needs protection and restoration. We can’t keep digging it up, putting it into bags and selling it to growers.
What’s your opinion?
You have the chance to have your say by giving your opinions by the 18th March. Go to the Defra website here.