European Plant Support Foundation awards funding for three tree nursery projects

The European Plant Support (EPS) Foundation has once again awarded financial contributions to projects in the tree nursery industry as part of its third funding round. During the board meeting on March 10, it was decided to support three initiatives that contribute to sustainability, innovation, and knowledge sharing within the industry. The projects will be featured at GrootGroenPlus 2025, and they will provide a tangible contribution to the further development of the tree nursery industry.

Three projects selected for support
As in previous rounds, careful consideration was given to selecting projects that would best benefit the industry. In total, three projects have been chosen.

Certification of Miscanthus as Sustainable Substrate Material
This project focuses on the certification of Miscanthus as an RHP-certified substrate material. With this certification, farmers will be able to grow a new, renewable crop, substrate producers will have access to locally sourced raw materials, and tree nurseries will find it easier to transition to peat-free substrates. This initiative contributes to CO₂ reduction and promotes a more sustainable supply chain. The certification process is expected to begin in early 2025 and continue until mid-2026. This project has been submitted by Miscanthus-Agri, which recognizes how this certification can benefit the entire supply chain. To achieve this, they will collaborate with RHP and other industry partners.

Garden Centre Event at GrootGroenPlus 2025
Following the success of the retail theme in 2024, EPS will support the organization of a special event for garden centers from the Netherlands and Belgium. This event will feature a seminar focused on sustainability. Additionally, a Green Climate Square will be set up for garden centers, highlighting four key topics: green roofs, water management in gardens, paving removal (what to replace it with?), and biodiversity. This initiative is already active in the Netherlands and is currently being rolled out in Belgium. The goal is to bring garden centers, governments, and nature organizations together to promote sustainable garden design. The event at the trade fair will mainly target participants from the Netherlands and Belgium, but simultaneous translation via headsets will make it accessible to international visitors. Various media partners will be involved in this event.

Targeted Content Creation and Information Provision via GGP.News
To improve information-sharing within the tree nursery industry and to enhance the visibility of GrootGroenPlus, much is invested in high-quality content creation for GGP.News. This platform will provide year-round updates for participants, visitors, and decision-makers in the industry, ensuring that GGP remains internationally relevant and well-positioned as the leading networking platform for the nursery stock industry. This project will mainly focus on reaching key audiences, including the international and Dutch nursery stock growers and traders as potential participants and visitors, decision-makers in the relevant industries who would benefit from participating in or attending GGP, and media and industry organizations that can help distribute the content further.