30 years of selected supply chain
Same extraction fields year after year. Block-cut. Consistent batches. Sustainability starts with quality — from the choice of raw materials to the consistency with which we bring them into our formulas.
We select peat from Baltic and German origins
The best peat comes from the same extraction fields, year after year. That is exactly where ours comes from — selected for 30 years for physical consistency, granulometry, and batch continuity.
We work primarily with block-cut peat: cut into solid blocks at the source, not broken up on the surface. Block cutting preserves the original fibrous structure. It reduces dust during mixing. It keeps water behavior more consistent over time compared to milled peat.
The areas from which we select peat — in Lithuania and Germany — are the same fields that have fed the Arber selected supply chain since the first professional substrates were launched. Same fields, same seasonality, same selection criteria: batches that arrive at our plants in Vicenza and Lamezia deliver repeatable behavior from one season to the next.
This is the foundation of Arber substrate consistency. It is not a claim of ownership over the resource. It is a supply chain choice we continue to make on the raw material every year.
What we select
- OriginLithuania · Germany · Baltic region
- Minimum batchpH · EC · moisture testing before packaging
- ContinuitySame extraction fields year after year
- Supply chain30 years of documented selection
Peat extraction is a regulated activity, not an unregulated practice
In Lithuania, Germany, and the Baltic region, peatland areas operate under specific European and national regulatory frameworks. This applies to extractors, to downstream processors, and to those — like Arber — who select the peat.
Regulatory framework. Extraction areas in the EU operate under the Habitats Directive (92/43/EEC), national peatland management plans (Lithuania, Germany), and EU Regulation 2024/1991 on nature restoration. The peat that arrives at our plants comes from areas authorized under these frameworks — not from informal extraction.
Post-extraction restoration. Extraction areas are restored after use, following Baltic and German industry protocols: re-wetting, hydrological reconstruction, and reintroduction of typical wetland species. This is not a practice that Arber finances directly. It is an integral part of the regulation that governs the sector.
Industry standards. In the European professional substrate market, sector schemes exist such as RPP (Responsibly Produced Peat) and RHP (professional substrate quality, NL), plus PEFC certification for wood-based products (wood fiber and related materials). These are the references the sector uses to speak a common language with professional customers.
Quality management systems of upstream companies. The Baltic and German companies that process peat downstream of extraction operate in line with ISO 9001 (quality management system) standards and are members of EPAGMA (European Peat and Growing Media Association). EPAGMA is the association that brings together European peat and substrate producers and codifies sector best practices. These are standards of the supply chain companies, not Arber product certifications.
Sector references
- EU Habitats Directive92/43/EEC — peatland management
- EU Nature Restoration Regulation2024/1991 — restoration of degraded areas
- RPPResponsibly Produced Peat — industry scheme
- RHPProfessional substrate quality (NL)
- PEFCWood · wood fiber certification
- ISO 9001Quality management system · supply chain companies
- EPAGMAEuropean Peat and Growing Media Association — membership
What a 30-year selected supply chain means in the greenhouse
Sustainability is a broad concept. For growers, every supply chain decision translates into three practical things: repeatability, predictable water behavior, and technical support built on the real product you have in your hands.
The same batch, the same response in the greenhouse
Same extraction fields year after year means: the bag you open this autumn behaves like the one you opened last season. No need to recalibrate fertilization. No surprises with irrigation. This is the foundation you built your protocol on — and Arber does not change it on you.
Block-cut peat is not a minor technical detail
Block cutting preserves the fibrous structure of the peat. It means less structural breakdown during the crop cycle, more consistent drainage, and less variable water retention between batches. In long-cycle crops (ornamental pot plants, trees) the difference shows at the end of the cycle, not at transplanting.
30 years of experience that speaks your language
Our technical team knows the same supply chain that enters your operation — not an abstract catalog. (In Italy, 15 zone agents cover technical support on the ground.) When you call, you speak with someone who has seen how the same substrate behaves in greenhouses like yours. They can work with you on a custom formula if you need one.
A question? Let us look into it together.
If you are evaluating a substrate for a specific crop, or want to understand how the Arber supply chain translates into consistent greenhouse yield, your local agent is the right starting point.
Toward peat-free
Peat-reduced supply chain topics are at the center of our selection work. The release timeline will be communicated when agronomic results are on a par with the peat-based formulas that today deliver consistent greenhouse yield.
European peat regulation evolves at its own pace. Our R&D does too — at the pace of a company that does not release a substrate until it works in real cultivation conditions.
Stay updated on the peat-free path →Frequently asked questions
The questions we receive most often from growers, distributors, garden centers, and curious customers. Concrete, sourceable answers with no marketing speak. If your question is not here, write to us — we will add it if it is of common interest.
What is peat and why is it used in professional substrates?
Peat is partially decomposed organic matter that accumulates in wetland areas over thousands of years. In professional growing substrates it is the base of almost all formulas. It has three properties that are difficult to replicate: high and predictable water retention capacity, a porous structure that maintains root gas exchange even when saturated, and a naturally acidic pH that can be adjusted with precision.
Peat is not chosen because it is cheap. It is the raw material that, today, makes the difference between consistent and variable yield. This is why the peat-free path takes time: it must be replaced with mixes that behave in the same way, batch after batch.
Is peat extraction sustainable?
Extraction areas operate under the EU Habitats Directive (92/43/EEC) and the EU Nature Restoration Regulation (2024/1991), with post-extraction restoration required by law — re-wetting, hydrological reconstruction, and reintroduction of typical wetland species.
Upstream, the Baltic and German companies that process peat operate in line with ISO 9001 standards and are members of EPAGMA (European Peat and Growing Media Association). Sector schemes also exist on the market: RPP (Responsibly Produced Peat), RHP, and PEFC, which codify best practices.
It is not a practice without impact, but it is a regulated and traceable practice — not an unregulated one.
What do “peat-free” and “peat-reduced” mean?
Peat-free means a formula that contains no peat: the base becomes wood fiber, coconut fiber, stabilized compost, or a mix of these. Peat-reduced means a formula in which peat is still present but at a lower level, with alternative raw materials taking its place.
The two categories have different agronomic behavior. Peat-reduced performance is closer to pure peat. Peat-free requires recalibration of irrigation and nutrition practices. Arber is working on both directions, with priority given to agronomic validation before commercial release.
What happens to extraction areas after use?
Extraction areas are restored after use according to Baltic and German industry protocols: re-wetting (controlled hydrological re-immersion), hydrological reconstruction of the basin, and reintroduction of typical wetland ecosystem species.
The process is governed by national regulatory frameworks and the EU Nature Restoration Regulation (2024/1991). This is not a practice that Arber finances directly. It is an integral part of the regulation that governs the sector, applied in the Lithuanian and German supply chains from which Arber selects peat.
Is Arber working on peat-free substrates?
Yes. Arber is working on the gradual reduction of peat content and on the development of peat-reduced and peat-free formulas for specific crops.
No peat-free SKU is currently in the price list. Our standard is not to release a substrate until it performs in the greenhouse as well as the peat-based ones already in production. The timeline will be communicated when agronomic results are consolidated. For now, the path is documented — not promised. We prefer “it is not ready yet” to “we launched it and we will see.”
How does Arber guarantee the same quality from batch to batch?
Consistency is built on three foundations. (1) Same extraction fields year after year: peat always comes from the same authorized areas, for 30 years. (2) Block-cut as the processing method: it preserves the original fibrous structure and reduces the dust typical of milled peat. (3) Controls on every batch before dispatch: pH, EC, and granulometry verified in our internal laboratory, with tolerances declared in the technical data sheet.
The formula you receive is the same one that left our laboratory.
Which supply chain certifications do you use?
Three standards are present in the Arber supply chain. HORTICERT certifies the German section of the supply chain for ecological, social, and economic sustainability across the peat and peat-substitute supply chain (recertified January 2026). RAL Substrate (Gütegemeinschaft Substrate für Pflanzen) is the German quality procedure for professional substrates. FiBL certifies the suitability of raw materials for organic agriculture, applied to the Leader Bio lines.
These are complemented by European market sector references: RPP (Responsibly Produced Peat), RHP (professional substrate quality, NL), PEFC (wood and wood fiber), ISO 9001 for upstream companies, and EPAGMA as the sector association. These are supply chain certifications, not Arber product certifications directly.
How much substrate has Arber produced since it was founded?
More than 7 million cubic meters of substrate since 1996 — the cumulative figure currently recorded in the Arber Professional Catalog, 2026 Edition.
In the same 30 years: 500+ formulas active in the catalog, 7M m³ of substrate produced, exported to 20+ countries. This is the volume built one formula at a time, working with the same extraction fields and the same batch quality parameters.
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