
CERTIFICATION
Responsibly Managed Peatlands CERTIFICATION
The Responsibly Managed Peatlands Certification – an international first – guarantees the application of good management practices in all aspects of sustainable development.
The program is administered by the Scientific Certification Systems (SCS), an independent certification agency and one of the most recognized agencies in North America.
This certification program was developed in 2012 in collaboration with the CSPMA and APTHQ as well as with representatives of the U.S. and Canadian governments, academic experts and horticultural peat producers. At first, this certification was an annex to the Veriflora Standard, a certification in sustainable development applied to the fields of floriculture and horticulture. Four years later, the SCS launched a certification review process that made it a full-fledged standard in addition to incorporating the latest scientific knowledge and the industry’s best practices.
The primary goals of the Responsibly Managed Peatlands Certification are to:
- Encourage the horticultural peat moss production sector to implement best management practices in terms of environmental and social quality performance.
- Stimulate innovation and promote continued improvement.
- Provide a uniform standard and assessment matrix that can be applied when evaluating the performance of a diverse array of responsible peatland management approaches.
- Promote sound and responsible working conditions and ensure adequate health and safety measures for workers’ protection.
- Invite peat moss producers to be good corporate citizens in their engagement with the surrounding communities.
- Raise public awareness about the issues and solutions associated with peat production.
- Stimulate purchases that reinforce responsible peatland management.
