Neova Group outlines priorities for Europe’s updated Bioeconomy Strategy
Neova Group has set out its key priorities in response to the European Commission’s recent consultation on the updated EU Bioeconomy Strategy. The company welcomes the Commission’s ambition to strengthen sustainability and circularity within the bioeconomy, while emphasising the need for a secure and resilient supply of high-quality biomass to support European horticulture and landscaping.
As Europe’s leading peat producer, Neova refines peat into high-value products and develops renewable energy solutions. Its subsidiary Kekkilä-BVB is Europe’s largest producer of growing media, supplying essential materials for professional horticulture, forestry, urban greening and home gardening across the continent.
In its submission, Neova highlights three priorities to ensure that Europe’s bioeconomy transition is both sustainable and practical for growers:
- Secure access to critical raw materials: Europe’s horticulture and growing media sectors rely on a balanced mix of bio-based feedstocks — including peat, wood fibre, bark, coir, compost and agricultural residues. With demand for these materials increasing across multiple industries, ensuring their availability is vital for resilient, high-quality food and plant production.
- Establish robust European standards: Neova calls for clear EU-wide standards for the safety and quality of circular and recycled raw materials used in growing media. This is essential to safeguard plant health, maintain reliable yields and support food safety.
- Promote responsible peat production: Peat will continue to play a crucial role in horticulture, acting as a stable base that enables the safe integration of alternative and circular materials. Neova underlines the importance of responsible production, guided by strong regulation, transparent certification schemes such as Responsibly Produced Peat (RPP), and commitments to restore production areas through rewetting or afforestation to deliver biodiversity and climate benefits.
Through Kekkilä-BVB, Neova is also driving innovation in circular solutions. The company aims to double the share of circular raw materials in its products by 2027 and is actively developing local and renewable alternatives, including verge grasses, Silphie crops on marginal land, reed canary grass grown on former peat production sites, and reused strawberry substrates from professional growers.
Neova’s response also stresses that increasing circularity must be underpinned by continuous research to manage potential risks — such as herbicide residues that can harm sensitive crops — and to ensure that new materials meet the highest standards of safety and performance.
By aligning innovation with practical, science-based solutions, Neova remains committed to supporting Europe’s transition to a more sustainable, resilient and competitive bioeconomy — one that meets the needs of growers today and in the future.