A campaign for peat-free futures rooted in justice
Peatland Justice (2024-present) is an artistic campaign led by RE-PEAT. It is a co-creative, narrative-shifting initiative that seeks to expose and transform peatland injustices.
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Demands
For societies without
peat extraction
These are our demands towards retailers, as well as towards the horticultural industrial users in all of Europe.
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We demand from retailers to share i) (online) data in the form of clear, accessible, and regularly updated reports to provide stakeholders with visibility on your environmental impact, ii) ingredient lists on your potted plants products. We demand from retailers to share comprehensive information of their entire supply chain, including the origin, volume, and usage of peat in their products. We demand from retailers to publicly share information on their steps towards peat-free retail.
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We demand from all European retailers to stop selling any products that involve the extraction of peat. This includes peat-containing bags of potting soil, potted plants (for ornamental purposes and potted herbs) and any fruit,vegetables or flowers grown on peat-extracted soil in the horticultural industry.
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We demand changes toward a regenerative, peat-free horticultural system, that uses soils which are:
Ecological – Local, renewable, circular
Effective – Practical, reliable, available
Fair – Living wages, transparency, affordability
Moreover, we demand solutions and financial reparation for those groups affected at different levels in the supply chain; including the communities living close to peat extraction sites, the workers in the horticulture industry, and the horticultural growers. We demand that the groups that are currently impacted by the horticultural system are granted an active decision-making role in finding alternatives to the current horticultural system.
for Albert Heijn
In our first campaign phase, we focus on Albert Heijn, a major Dutch retailer and part of Ahold Delhaize group. In addition to our three general demands, below are tailored demands towards Albert Heijn.
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We demand from Albert Heijn to share i) (online) data in the form of clear, accessible, and regularly updated reports to provide stakeholders with visibility on your environmental impact, ii) ingredient lists on your potted plants products. We demand from Albert Heijn to share comprehensive information of their entire supply chain, including the origin, volume, and usage of peat in their products. We demand from Albert Heijn to publicly share information on their steps towards peat-free retail.
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We demand Albert Heijn to stop selling any products that involve the extraction of peat. This includes peat-containing bags of potting soil, potted plants (for decorational purposes and potted herbs) and any fruit or vegetables grown on peat-extracted soil in the horticultural industry.
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We demand changes toward a regenerative supply chain by retailers and the Dutch government. We demand that Albert Heijn takes a leading role in this transition.
We are urging to create a horticultural system that is:
Ecological – Local, renewable, circular
Effective – Practical, reliable, available
Fair – Living wages, transparency, affordability
Moreover, we demand solutions and financial reparation for those groups affected at different levels in the supply chain; including the communities living close to peat extraction sites, the workers in the horticulture industry, and the horticulture farmers. We demand that the groups that are currently impacted by the horticultural system are granted an active decision-making role in finding new and alternative ways to the current horticultural system.
Why Peatland Justice?
Peatlands are being destroyed at an alarming rate—largely to supply the horticultural industry with peat-based potting soils. 80% of global peat extraction happens in Europe, causing the highest emissions per hectare of any land use.
At the heart of this crisis are two major drivers:
TRADE
Peat extraction for horticulture fuels large-scale environmental destruction. Peat is often extracted to be shipped beyond its origin country.
finance
Peatland degradation is embedded in economic systems that prioritise profit over people and ecosystems. A just financial framework is needed to change that.
Our Focus: Retailers in the Netherlands
We are honing in on retailers - the public-facing link in this destructive supply chain. They hold the power to drive systemic change by shifting what products are on their shelves.
Why the Netherlands? It is a horticultural giant, responsible for 10% of global peat imports.
We work alongside peatland advocacy groups, ecological farmers, and campaigners to push for a just transition away from peat—not just a quick fix that shifts the problem elsewhere.
Mapping the Story of Peat
Parallel to putting pressure on the extractivist peat industry, we want to shift the narratives around peatlands, deepening public understanding and reconnection with peatlands. That’s why we are developing a deep map of peat trade in Europe through which we are layering stories, data, and perspectives to paint a fuller picture of what’s happening.
We are also experimenting with creative communication methods, including:
- Posters, stickers, and zines
- Explainer videos
- Workshops and talks
…and more!
Follow up on your peat knowledge!
Download our campaign posters!
Print them, share them - make the message heard!
What even is a peatland, Anyway?
A peatland Justice Comic
We are proud to collaborate with: Wetlands International-European Association, Climate Catalyst and Transnational Institute.
Peatland Justice is made possible with the generous support of Allianz Foundation, Andrea von Braun Foundation, Lush, Patagonia, the Collective Imagination Practice Community, and the Landscape Research Group.
Andrea von Braun Stiftung
