Category: Sustainability

The Fertilizer Institute Announces First-of-Its-Kind Third Party Ammonia Production Carbon Intensity Verification Program

Arlington, VA – The Fertilizer Institute (TFI) today announced the launch of the Verified Ammonia Carbon Intensity (VACI) program, a voluntary certification of the carbon footprint of ammonia production at a specific facility. VACI is the first program of its kind and is designed to provide ammonia consumers seeking to reduce emissions across their supply chains with an independent and certifiable carbon intensity score.

 The VACI certification framework standardizes the approach for calculating the carbon intensity of ammonia encompassing all aspects of ammonia manufacturing, from feedstock production through the finished product at the plant gate. Producers will use the VACI standard to calculate the carbon intensity of ammonia produced at their facilities. An independent, third-party auditor will then verify or validate that the carbon intensity score is accurate.

“Ammonia is a critical input for agriculture, NOx emissions control, and many commercial products, including fabric, paper, and pharmaceuticals,” said TFI president and CEO Corey Rosenbusch. “As agriculture and other industries increasingly look to develop more sustainable and resilient supply chains, the Verified Ammonia Carbon Intensity program provides ammonia consumers with certifiable transparency that will allow them to quantify the positive impact using low-carbon ammonia has on their greenhouse gas emissions footprint.”

Ammonia, which has a chemical composition of NH3, is one of the most widely produced industrial chemicals in the world. Ammonia production, which typically uses natural gas as a feedstock for its hydrogen component, is an energy-intensive process with substantial carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions as a byproduct of the production process. Many ammonia producers in the United States are investing in technologies to dramatically reduce CO2 emissions from ammonia production. VACI enables producers to document the varying levels of emissions reduction these technologies provide.

The VACI program was developed by TFI in collaboration with technical industry experts from CF Industries, LSB, Nutrien, OCI, and Yara, and guided by Hinicio, a leading strategic and technical consulting firm specializing in hydrogen and its derivatives and industrial decarbonization. The standard is aligned with International Organization for Standardization/International Electrotechnical Commission standards ISO/IEC 17029, ISO 14064, and ISO 14067. Facilities certified under the program include Nutrien Redwater and CF Industries Donaldsonville with audits that have been completed by SCV Consulting Ltd. and TÜV SÜD America, Inc. Audits for LSB Industries El Dorado and CVR Energy’s Coffeyville facilities are in progress.

VACI is initiating a 60-day public consultation period for ammonia consumers and stakeholders to provide feedback on the program and its methodology via this survey. VACI intends to refine the program based on comments received.

###

The Fertilizer Institute (TFI) is the leading voice of the nation’s fertilizer industry. Tracing its roots back to 1883, TFI’s membership includes fertilizer producers, wholesalers, retailers and trading firms. TFI’s full-time staff, based in Washington, D.C., serves its members through legislative, educational, technical, economic information and public communication programs. Find more information about TFI online at TFI.org and follow us on Twitter at @Fertilizer_Inst. Learn more about TFI’s nutrient stewardship initiatives at nutrientstewardship.org and on Twitter at @4rnutrients.

TFI Announces 2024 4R Advocate Winners

Arlington, VA –The Fertilizer Institute (TFI) announced today the selection of two agricultural retailers and their partnering farmers as the 2024 4R Advocates. These four individuals are being recognized for their exceptional commitment to implementing fertilizer management practices based on the principles of 4R Nutrient Stewardship, which have demonstrated significant economic and environmental benefits.

“Our 2024 4R Advocates are at the forefront of environmental stewardship,” said TFI President and CEO Corey Rosenbusch, speaking at TFI’s Agronomy Conference and Expo in St. Louis, MO. “Their commitment to the 4Rs—right source, rate, time, and place— is crucial for optimizing crop yield and sustainability, ensuring our ability to continue feeding the crops that feed the world. We are proud to honor these grower and retailer pairs for their significant contributions to farming practices and look forward to their continued impact on shaping agriculture.'”

Now in its 13th year, the 4R Advocate program highlights the in-field successes of these best management practices, which focus on the right source, rate, time, and fertilizer placement. This framework aims to enhance production and profitability, boost environmental protection, and improve sustainability.

The advocates selected for this year, who collectively manage diverse cropping systems across multiple states, will participate in various TFI outreach efforts. These include hosting farm field days, participating in conference panels, and promoting 4R stewardship practices within their communities.

2024 4R Advocates:

Retailer: Allen Spray, Chestertown, MD – Williard Agri Service

Farmer: Bryant Lowe, Laurel, DE – Lakeside Farms

Retailer: Daniel Mullenix, Auburn, AL – GreenPoint Ag

Farmer: Mason Roberts, Sylvester, GA – MTR Farms

The 4R Advocate program is a key element of TFI’s campaign to raise awareness and adoption of 4R Nutrient Stewardship practices. This initiative underlines the critical role of efficient nutrient utilization in sustainable crop production systems. To learn more about 4R practices, please visit www.tfi.org.

Additionally, as of this summer the industry is on track with its 4R Acre commitment to manage 70 million acres under 4R practices by 2030. A 4R acre is defined as an acre of U.S. cropland under management using 4R practices, such as crediting organic sources and removal rates, variable rate technology, split applications, the use of cover crops, accounting for weather during application, etc.

###

The Fertilizer Institute (TFI) is the leading voice of the nation’s fertilizer industry. Tracing its roots back to 1883, TFI’s membership includes fertilizer producers, wholesalers, retailers and trading firms. TFI’s full-time staff, based in Washington, D.C., serves its members through legislative, educational, technical, economic information and public communication programs. Find more information about TFI online at TFI.org and follow us on Twitter at @Fertilizer_Inst. Learn more about TFI’s nutrient stewardship initiatives at nutrientstewardship.org and on Twitter at @4rnutrients.

TFI Releases Latest Report on Fertilizer Industry Sustainability

Arlington, VA – The Fertilizer Institute (TFI) today released new data highlighting industry improvement in sustainability performance in key priority areas of workforce safety, energy and the environment, fertilizer use, and industry innovation.

“The over 100,000 employees of the fertilizer industry work each day to produce and supply fertilizer to farmers in an effort to feed the world,” said TFI President and CEO Corey Rosenbusch. “To feed a global population of 1 billion people by 2050, fertilizer is playing a critical role in increasing both food production and land use efficiency sustainability in agriculture.”

TFI has collected data since 2013 on metrics that provide insight into the industry’s efforts to improve safety, security, sustainability, environmental stewardship, and efficiency. The data announced today was gathered in 2023 and reflects industry operations in 2022.

“The industry is continuously working towards more sustainable operations, including efforts to decarbonize and mitigate environmental impacts,” Rosenbusch continued. “Each step of the supply chain is focused on doing more with fewer resources while limiting impacts on communities and the environment. The data in this report highlights the achievements we’ve made in worker safety, energy, and environmental metrics.”

Report highlights include:

  • Participating members reported a total of 25 zero-discharge facilities, at which all wastewater is recycled. 
  • When compared to the Department of Labor’s data for similar companies in wholesale, mining, and manufacturing, our members outperform the industry benchmarks in every category. 
  • Farmers in the US have a nitrogen use efficiency of 70%, which is much higher in comparison to the world average of 55%. The 2023 4R Advocates had an average of 100% nitrogen use efficiency.
  • TFI members are working towards decarbonizing manufacturing sites, including boosting energy efficiency, carbon capture and sequestration, investing in electrolysis technologies, and more. Low carbon ammonia technologies can increase the sustainability of fertilizers while ensuring agricultural productivity. TFI is developing a protocol to define carbon intensity for ammonia production in North America.

The data includes metrics on segments of the fertilizer industry from fertilizer use on the farm, worker safety, energy and environment, and industry innovation. To learn more about this year’s report, click here.

###

First Biostimulant Certified Under TFI Program

Arlington, VA – The Fertilizer Institute (TFI) announced today that its newly launched Certified Biostimulant program has awarded the first certification for a biostimulant product.

“We are pleased to announce that AgroLiquid’s C-Tech biostimulant product has gone through the necessary steps to be recognized as a Certified Biostimulant by TFI,” said TFI president and CEO Corey Rosenbusch. “Upon thorough review of their data, research, and methodology, we have confirmed their adherence to industry-established standards, ensuring that among other criteria, proper experimental protocols were followed during efficacy testing.”

TFI’s Certified Biostimulant initiative aligns with the United States Biostimulant Industry Guidelines, which set forth criteria for comprehensive documentation supporting efficacy testing methods, composition, and safety measures. Upon certification, a product is granted a distinctive label, signifying to agricultural retailers and consumers that it has undergone the necessary steps to meet the outlined standards in the guidelines.

“Biostimulants are a relatively new innovation in agriculture that have tremendous potential to enhance the existing environmental stewardship of growers and compliment 4R fertilizer practices,” Rosenbusch explained. “But in countless conversations with ag retailers, what kept coming up was the lack of a standard when assessing the new products and deciding which products to stock and recommend to their grower customers. The Certified Biostimulant program was created to provide that standard because we want to get them into the hands of more growers, and we want both the ag retailers and growers to have confidence when choosing which product they use.”

Plant biostimulants can potentially play a crucial role in sustainable agriculture by promoting nutrient uptake, stress tolerance, and overall plant vigor. Biostimulants have also been proven to provide such environmental benefits such as enhanced carbon sequestration and reduced nutrient leaching to ground and surface water.

“When we talk nutrient management, we are talking about minimizing losses to the environment, water quality, air quality, soil health, and all the other things important to the conservation and environmental communities. Biostimulants support environmental stewardship by improving the efficiencies of fertilizer application and soil health while also increasing crop yields,” Rosenbusch concluded. “We are proud to bring consumer confidence to the marketplace through our certification program and look forward to certifying more biostimulant products in the future that help to ensure our dinner tables are full and the environment is being protected.”

###

The Fertilizer Institute (TFI) is the leading voice of the nation’s fertilizer industry. Tracing its roots back to 1883, TFI’s membership includes fertilizer producers, wholesalers, retailers and trading firms. TFI’s full-time staff, based in Washington, D.C., serves its members through legislative, educational, technical, economic information and public communication programs. Find more information about TFI online at TFI.org and follow us on Twitter at @Fertilizer_Inst. Learn more about TFI’s nutrient stewardship initiatives at nutrientstewardship.org and on Twitter at @4rnutrients.