Global Growing Media Demand and Raw Material Availability Projections to 2050

Van T. H. Nguyen's study projects the global demand for growing media and the availability of raw materials up to the year 2050. The analysis, last updated on 2026-05-26, estimates demand could increase by 250-290% by 2050, with strong growth in ornamental and tree nursery sectors. It evaluates the sufficiency of eight main raw material groups, including peat, coir, and wood fiber, under different availability scenarios.

Use Cases

• Forecasting regional demand for growing media based on projected consumption increases in Asia, South America, and Africa.
• Assessing raw material supply gaps for soilless agriculture based on availability scenarios for peat, coir, and wood fiber.
• Modeling the environmental and economic impact of raw material selection for growing media production.
• Planning for resource use efficiency in horticulture based on demand projections for food crops, ornamentals, and the hobby market.

Strengths

• Projections are based on 2022 usage data and expected demand increases, providing a quantitative baseline.
• Analyzes eight distinct raw material groups and five market segments, offering a structured view of the supply chain.
• Provides specific numerical projections, including a 250-290% demand increase and a potential 17 Mm³ new material requirement.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• The data is contained in a single 85.6 KB DOCX file, indicating a limited scope likely focused on summary tables.

Provenance

Source

Van T. H. Nguyen via figshare

Collection Method

Demand projections based on 2022 usage data and expected increase; availability estimates based on current industry data and trends.

Time Range

Projections to 2050, based on 2022 data.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-05-26 06:03:30; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Global, with specific mention of China and emerging markets in Asia, South America, and Africa.