Sustainability: a commitment to balance

At Premier Tech, sustainability is a commitment to achieve a balance between the preservation of the planet, the well-being of individuals and a shared prosperity. This commitment translates into concrete actions aimed at reducing the environmental footprint and promoting the well-being of team members and communities.

Discover Premier Tech's approach

Here is how Premier Tech Growers and Consumers implements this approach.

Planet

For Premier Tech, participating in preserving the planet requires a deep understanding of environmental challenges and the adoption of concrete measures aimed at reducing the impact of our activities and products. This includes engaging in the fight against climate change by reducing our greenhouse gas emissions, considering other aspects of our products' footprint throughout their lifecycle, and adopting increasingly eco-responsible business and production practices. We focus our efforts on these three areas of impact:

Sustainability - Planet

•Sustainable Peatland Management

We are an active member of the Canadian Sphagnum Peat Moss Association (CSPMA), an organization dedicated to promoting the sustainable management of Canadian peatlands and the industry, providing leadership in environmental and social stewardship while supporting the economic well-being related to the use of peatland resources.

• An Exemplary Standard in Sustainable Development

Our peatlands are certified under the Veriflora - Responsibly Managed Peatlands® program, ensuring the adoption of best practices in sustainable development. We adhere to the Veriflora standard by conducting an annual inventory of greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) in our peatlands, which helps to set industry standards for sustainability.

• Restoration of Peatlands to Their Original Functions

We restore peatlands after peat harvesting to reestablish their self-regulation mechanisms. This allows the peatland to regain its functions, including, among others, its ability to accumulate peat and sequester carbon.

• Eco-Design

We aim to have a complete picture of the many facets of our products' footprint - health, climate change, ecosystems, and resource use. We are committed to fully integrating eco-design practices into our innovation process and developing products that consider all environmental issues throughout their lifecycle.

• Nature: Our Source of Inspiration

At Premier Tech, we identify forces in nature and put them at your service. Using the right fungus for stronger roots or the best bacteria to enhance crops will benefit you where it matters the most. Our solutions are from nature, reliable, and sustainable.

• Biological Solutions

For over 40 years, we have been committed to researching biological active ingredients to enrich growing products for professionals. Our professional brands, such as PRO-MIX® and AGTIV®, offer certified products and growing media for organic agriculture and horticulture, providing environmentally friendly and biologically viable solutions.

• Peat: An Unmatched Component

Peat remains the optimal choice for maximizing plant yield. Additionally, it helps to optimize the agronomic characteristics of other organic materials such as coco coir, bark, and compost. This contributes to nourishing and beautifying the planet.

• The Value of Our Resources

We are deeply aware of the value of natural resources and are committed to continuously improving our ecological footprint at all levels of our activities, from production to local initiatives and the impact on the communities where we operate.

• Responsible Management: A Priority

Premier Tech Growers and Consumers is certified Veriflora by SCS Global, ensuring responsible management of peatlands with commitments to continuous improvement and annual external audits. We are committed to the ecological restoration of peatlands to promote the return of biodiversity.

• Valorization of residual materials

Premier Tech is involved in several partnerships to enhance the value of its residual materials. We are open to exploring new partnerships aimed at supporting the recovery or upcycling of materials, particularly in the field of plastics and other materials/residues.

People

Because we are committed toward people, our priority is to offer a work environment that ensures safety, health and well-being. Our goal is to support our team members by investing in their development, recognizing their talent, and helping them achieve their full potential. Additionally, we commit, alongside our teams, to contribute to the vitality and development of the communities in which we operate.

Sustainability - People

• Preservation of Species and Ecological Balance

We are proud of our contribution to the preservation of the short-eared owl in the Parc Nature, of our active participation in the Woodland Caribou Range Plan, and our responsible management of beaver dams. These actions demonstrate our respect for ecological balance and are just a few examples of our commitment to conservation.

•Promotion of the Local Economy

As a regional force, we also favor local suppliers, thereby supporting the local economy while contributing to the development of our regions.

• Global Presence, Local Roots

We support our communities through donations, whether for schools, community gardens, or other local initiatives. Our commitment to people extends beyond the confines of our business to embrace collective well-being.

• Getting Involved in our Communities

Premier Tech supports health, sport and education in the communities where we operate, both through concrete actions and the creation of sustainable infrastructures. At the same time, we encourage our teams to get involved in causes close to their hearts, reinforcing our positive impact while respecting local needs and cultural specificities.

• Industry Engagement

We believe in training the next generation in responsible peatland management. Our active participation in events such as RE3 or the GRET-PERG symposium allows us to exchange ideas about our management practices and new developments. We also believe in knowledge sharing, which is why we have established the Training Center and various training programs within our industries.

• Continuous Training

At the heart of our commitment to the continuous development of knowledge and skills is the University of Premier Tech (UPT), which offers training and resources for the development of our team members' skills, covering various professional, technological and technical fields.

• Individual Development

For Premier Tech, the fulfillment of individual aspirations is a collective strength. That's why we offer a dynamic and stimulating learning environment that enables team members to acquire new skills, stay up-to-date in their fields, and meet future challenges. We are convinced that investing in the training and development of our team members contributes to their personal growth, enhances our collective expertise, and promotes skills that advance the industry and communities.

We prioritize the health, safety, and well-being of our team members by providing healthy and safe work environments along with benefits that contribute to the emotional, physical, professional, and financial well-being of each individual. Our goal is to create dynamic, inclusive, and respectful workplaces that align with our values at all our sites, thereby ensuring comprehensive support services for our team members.

Prosperity

For Premier Tech, sustainability involves a long-term vision and a steadfast commitment to inspiring change and creating value for our clients, partners, and the environment. That’s why we target initiatives that go even further through the following three areas of impact:

Sustainability - Prosperity

• Naturally Optimizing

We optimize crop performance by integrating life into the root zone with biological active ingredients. Our distinctive solutions include biostimulants and biocontrols that strengthen plants and increase their yield in an environmentally friendly way.

• Improving Soil Life

We are committed to enhancing the life within soils to increase crop yields. Our unique and environmentally friendly solutions incorporate biostimulants that enrich the soil and increase plant resilience.

• Plastic Circularity

With a recycling company and a manufacturer of recycled resins and polyethylene films, we have established a circular economy partnership: we recycle the plastic from the mega-bales used during transportation, transform it into post-consumer recycled resin, and incorporate it into plastic film for packaging our growing media.

• Exploring Partnerships

We are open to exploring new partnerships aimed at supporting the recovery or upcycling of materials, particularly in the field of plastics and other materials/residues.

• Implementing Research

In 1992, Premier Tech initiated the discussions that led to the creation of the Peatland Ecology Research Group (PERG). This group is the result of close collaboration between the Canadian horticultural peat industry, the academic scientific community, and federal and provincial governmental agencies.

• Extended Collaboration

Our collaboration has since expanded to include other universities and research groups around the world, leveraging specific expertise to ensure the sustainability of this resource, which is so valuable to Premier Tech.

• Complementary Expertise

We collaborate with researchers who have complementary expertise in various fields ranging from ecology and peatland restoration to the valorization of greenhouse crop residues, greenhouse phytoprotection, and the environmental benefits of biological active ingredients.