In 1992 I organised a Plantlife Peat Inquiry which heard from a wide range of experts including leading economists such as Professor Sir Dieter Helm, popular TV gardeners such as the late Geoff Hamilton, as well as ecologists and hydrologists from the Joint Nature Conservation Committee. The resounding recommendation from that Inquiry was for the cessation of peat extraction for horticulture as soon as possible, for environmental reasons.

Yet here we are, 34 years later, when despite promising soundings from both the previous Government (who said peat sales to the public would be banned by the end of 2024) and our current one (Sir Kier Starmer has said his Government is "committed" to a ban on peat sales to the public), peat is still not banned from sale.

This was brought into sharp focus when I complained that peat-based compost originating from Northern Ireland was on sale at Petersfield's discount store, only to find out later that it was not illegal, even though almost all garden centres in the UK have stopped stocking it. I am waiting for an official answer to my query.

This appears to be one of those situations in which the affected industry, as well as we gardeners, are ahead of the curve. We all know that using peat is plain wrong. We can be forgiven for assuming peat had been banned from sale.

A consortium of interested parties has been formed. The group, set up by a sustainability consultancy Sizzle Innovation, brought together growers, manufacturers, retailers, NGOs and experts through the Enrich the Earth partnership. Their shared message is clear: a transition away from peat is not only feasible, but it can strengthen the horticultural sector - if the government provides legislative certainty. The group points out that certainty in this area could bring innovations contributing to net zero, for example by unlocking the value of the UKs mountain of biowaste to produce compost and fertiliser. They also want protection for the horticultural industry, including a ban on peat-grown plants being imported to the UK.

Click here to find a great blog on this work at The Green Alliance.

PeCAN will be joining the call for an immediate ban on peat sales to the public, urging the Government to give this matter parliamentary time by including it in the upcoming King's Speech.

The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), while not a campaigning organisation, has contributed over the past 25 years to research into peat alternatives, some of which are endorsed by the RHS - such as Melcourt's Silvagrow. RHS suppliers have stopped using peat and a leading supermarket supplier, Crocus, is also peat-free. It is high time outlets such as discount stores and home improvement retailers, which continue to sell peat-based compost to the public, followed this lead.

An example of a peat based brand to avoid