Canadian Sphagnum Peat Moss Association Releases Industry Social Responsibility Report

ST. ALBERT, Alberta, March 10, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- The Canadian Sphagnum Peat Moss Association (CSPMA), a trade association of peat moss producers that accounts for 95% of Canada's total peat moss harvesting and production, has issued its first Industry Social Responsibility Report. The CSPMA's Industry Social Responsibility Report is designed to demonstrate the association's commitment to sustainable practices, responsible peat harvesting and the restoration of Canada's vast resource of peatlands.

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Included in the comprehensive CSPMA Industry Social Responsibility Report is a review of the horticultural sphagnum peat moss life cycle analysis, which included all operations involved in the production, transformation and distribution stages of peat moss production. The ISR assessment also includes a detailed description of peatlands management and restoration, the goals and objectives of the association's ISR mandate and specific actions to be carried out in order to improve the degree of social responsibility of the association and the peat moss industry as a whole.

"The Canadian peat moss industry is already recognized as an international leader in sustainable practices," said Paul Short, President of the Canadian Sphagnum Peat Moss Association. "The CSPMA Industry Social Responsibility Report is further evidence that we are continuing a leadership position in all facets of our industry, and we are accepting a role as a global leader in responsible peatland management and peat production."

The Canadian Sphagnum Peat Moss Association (CSPMA) Industry Social Responsibility Report is the result of several years of research and reporting. In 2012, the CSPMA used the Sustainability Assessment of Food and Agriculture Systems (SAFA) guidelines as a foundation for developing the association's first-ever ISR report. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) accepted the CSPMA's reporting project as one of 23 global pilot initiatives participating to advance the SAFA Guidelines.

Since the late 1980s, the Canadian peat moss industry has placed environmental stewardship in the forefront of its strategic planning, research and activities. Protecting ecosystems and restoration of peat bogs are considered essential to sustainable management and responsible development of the natural resource. The CSPMA has developed science-based policies to ensure appropriate peat moss harvesting, peatlands restoration actions by its members and the adoption of best environmental sustainability practices. After harvesting, the sites are restored by re-establishing the biodiversity, hydrology and greenhouse gas exchange functions of the peatland.

Canada is the world's largest producer and exporter of sphagnum peat moss for horticultural use. Peat is an essential input used in the multi-billion dollar North American horticultural industry. Canada produces more than 65% of the peat used for horticultural purposes in the United States. The peat moss industry in Canada provides more than 3,000 direct and indirect jobs to Canadians all across the country.

Canadian Sphagnum Peat Moss is a natural, organic soil amendment that improves soil structure. It increases water retention in sandy soils, which helps reduce the leaching of nutrients. It increases the aeration in clay soil, which helps increase drainage. Peat moss is a source of organic matter, and it offers a stable pathogen and contaminant-free environment for plant growth. Adding peat moss to garden soil helps regulate moisture and air around plant roots to create ideal growing conditions for plants.

To read the CSPMA Industry Social Responsibility Report online, visit www.PeatMoss.com and click on the Industry Social Responsibility Report link on the home page. Also visit www.PeatMoss.com for additional information about Canadian Sphagnum Peat Moss or the Canadian Sphagnum Peat Moss Association.

NEED PHOTOS, INTERVIEWS OR A COPY OF THE ISR REPORT?
Send a request via email to Randy Schultz, Email, or call 505-822-8222.

Media Contact: Randy Schultz, 505-822-8222 or Email

SOURCE Canadian Sphagnum Peat Moss Association

Related Links

http://www.peatmoss.com