fertilizers & agriculture february 2015

f e r t i l i z e r s& a g r i c u l t u r e

February 2016

www.fertilizer.org

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Thanks in no small part to the lead-ership provided by the Govern-

ment of France, a global climate change agreement was reached at the end of the Paris Climate Conference (COP21) on 12 December.1 The Paris Agreement represents a significant step forward as virtually all countries2 (not only de-veloped ones) have agreed to take ac-tions beginning in 2020 to reduce their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, with the aim of limiting the increase in the average global temperature to well be-low two degrees Celsius (2°C) relative to pre-industrial levels. Avoiding a 2°C tem-perature increase will require “net zero” GHG emissions globally as early as 2050.3 One big question is whether the Paris Agreement sends a sufficiently strong signal to the international investment community that the political will to address global climate change is now strong and clear. If it does so, the agreement will have implications for the fos-sil fuel industry – not in “closing down” its operations in the immediate future, but in reinvigorating interest and invest-ments in technologies and practices that will reduce emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) and other GHGs. Ahead of the Par-is Conference, more than 150 countries – accounting for around 90% of global economic activity and 90% of global en-ergy-related CO2 emissions4 – submitted national plans (referred to as Intended Nationally Determined Contributions, or INDCs) to reduce their GHG emissions post-2020.5 There are a number of implications for the fertilizer industry. Depending on ac-tions taken by individual countries, for example, the industry could be subject to carbon pricing mechanisms6 and

other regulatory approaches on its pro-duction practices. In addition, many of the over 90 countries that identified ag-riculture in their INDCs, have referred to changes in fertilizer practices as one way to achieve GHG emission reductions.The industry needs to communicate about the important role of plant nutri-ents in sustainable agricultural intensifi-cation. Sustainable intensification notonly helps soils to absorb more CO2 from the atmosphere; it improves soil productivity on land already under cul-tivation and, very importantly, by en-hancing crop productivity, should work to moderate deforestation where this is intended to create new farmland.

The Paris Agreement on climate change and implications for the fertilizer industryby John Drexhage

Fertilizers and climate smart agricultureby Terry Roberts

Climate smart agriculture (CSA) is an integrated approach that addresses food security as global climate change continues to occur. The purpose of cli-mate smart agriculture is to help with the adaptation of cropping systems, to sustainably increase productivity, and to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) and other greenhouse gases. Producing food as our climate changes will require adopting and adapting technologies ranging from better-suited crop genetics to improved agronomic management. Climate smart agriculture will not be possible without the proper

use and management of fertilizers. Fer-tilizers can contribute to carbon (C) se-questration in soils and, when they are properly managed, will have minimal impacts on the level of greenhouse gas emissions.

cont’d on page 2

Compared to forestry, agriculture re- ceived a comparative lack of attention during the Paris negotiations. However, as many countries have identified agriculture and agriculture-related CO2, methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions as areas where overall GHG emission reductions could be achieved,pressure will build for capacity building on best practices and the development of guidelines for monitoring, reporting and verifying net emission reductions. Starting at the next meeting of the Cli-mate Change Convention’s Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technical Advice (SBSTA) in May 2016, the fertilizer industry therefore has an important con- tribution to make in providing relevant expert advice.Agriculture did enjoy a prominent pro-file at a number of COP21 “side events” that took place outside the formal nego-tiations, including a two-day conference on landscapes and the launch of a high- profile initiative by the French Govern- ment on enriching the carbon content of soils by .4% annually until 2030.The fertilizer industry has critical work to carry out together with national gov-ernments as they begin to implement their INDCs. For example, many African countries have included in their national plans measures to transition from miner-al to “organic” fertilizers. However, Afri-can soils are often very poor in nutrients. Governments need to consider the need for fertilizers to enrich their soils, in order to increase crop yields and significantly enhance soils’ resilience to climate-related impacts, including those of droughts and flash floods. The challenge for the fertilizer industry is to continue to prosper in an eventual “net zero” carbon future by:• demonstrating a continued commit-

ment to sustainable agricultural pro-ductivity;

• workingtodecreaseglobalGHGemis-sions through improving practices and technologies;

• perhapsmostimportantly,demonstrat-ing that its contributions to enriching soil productivity reduce pressures for further land use change.

1 It also emphasized the importance of “pursu-

ing efforts to limit the temperature increase

to 1.5 °C above pre-industrial levels, recog-

nizing that this would significantly reduce

the risks and impacts of climate change”. The

Paris Agreement will enter into force after

55 countries that account for at least 55% of

global GHG emissions have deposited their

instruments of ratification. For the text of

the agreement, see: “Adoption of the Paris

Agreement”, unfccc.int/resource/docs/2015/

cop21/eng/l09r01.pdf. Also see, among other

sites that summarize the agreement: “Eu-

ropean Commission: Climate Action: Paris

Agreement”,ec.europa.eu/clima/policies/inter-

national/negotiations/future/index_en.htm 2 One country, Nicaragua, announced it would

not publish a national plan to combat global

warming. See: “COP21: Nicaragua refuses to

make climate pledge at Paris talks”, Financial

Times, 6 December 2015, www.ft.com/intl/cms/

s/2/10b3910e-99ee-11e5-9228-87e603d47bdc.

html#axzz3x1kWkxMQ3 “Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions neutrality

should be interpreted to mean net zero an-

thropogenic GHG emissions from all sectors.

It is achieved first and foremost by reducing

total GHG emissions to as close to zero as pos-

sible. Any remaining GHGs would be balanced

with an equivalent amount of removals (such

as enhanced sequestration in the land sector)

or negative emissions (possibly using future

technologies like bioenergy combined with

carbon capture and sequestration, although

these remain unproven at scale) … GHG neu-

trality covers all greenhouse gas emissions,

which means emissions from carbon dioxide

as well as other greenhouse gases like meth-

ane. All of these gases would reach net zero

in a GHG neutral scenario. In contrast, carbon

neutrality deals only with carbon dioxide emis-

sions. In 2012, 23% of emissions were non-CO2

greenhouse gases.” From: “COP21 Q&A: What

Is GHG Emissions Neutrality in the Context of

the Paris Agreement?”, World Resources Insti-

tute (WRI), www.wri.org/blog/2015/12/cop21-

qa-what-ghg-emissions-neutrality-context-

paris-agreement4 Energy and Climate Change: World Energy

Outlook Special Briefing for COP21, Organisa-

tion for Economic Co-operation and Devel-

opment (OECD)/International Energy Agency

(IEA), 2015, www.iea.org/media/news/WEO_

INDC_Paper_Final_WEB.PDF. According to this

IEA publication, actions in the energy sector

could make or break efforts to achieve the

world’s agreed climate goal. Growth in energy

sector GHG emissions would slow dramatically

if the INDCs were fully implemented; natural

gas would increase its share in the energy mix,

while the shares of coal and oil would decline. 5 Several other countries submitted INDCs

during the conference. See: “Intended Na-

tionally Determined Contributions (INDCs)”,

UN Framework Convention on Climate

Change (UNFCCC), unfccc.int/focus/indc_por-

tal/items/8766.php; and “What is an INDC?”,

World Resources Institute, www.wri.org/indc-

definition6 See: “What Does It Mean to Put a Price on

Carbon?”, The World Bank, www.worldbank.

org/en/news/feature/2014/06/11/what-does-it-

mean-to-put-a-price-on-carbon

ContactJohn DrexhageConsultant, Sustainable Development, Climate Change and [email protected]: +1 613 325 8254

cont’d from page 1

The Paris agreement on climate change

2 fertilizers & agriculture

February 2016 3

Carbon sequestrationCarbon sequestration is any increase in soil organic carbon (SOC) content caused by a change in land management. The Earth’s soil is a tremendous sink for C. Soil organic matter (SOM) is estimated to contain about 1,500 billion metric tonnes of C (at 0-1 metre depth). That is two and half times more C than in terres-trial vegetation and twice the amount in the atmosphere. Carbon sequestration in cultivated soil can be increased by re-ducing tillage, adding organic amend-ments, using cover crops and adding ap-propriate nutrients. Carbon sequestration provides a win-win opportunity because it helps remove CO2 from the air and builds soil organic matter, which improves soil health and productivity. However, there are some constraints on C sequestration: the car-bon gain in soils is finite; levels increase only until the soil reaches a new equi-librium; the process is reversible; and practices that promote sequestration (e.g. fertilization) may be responsible for other greenhouse gas emissions.A wide range of laboratory methods can be used to determine SOC con-centrations. Accurately measuring and modelling C inputs and changes in SOC is nevertheless a major challenge.

The importance of nitrogenNitrogen (N) is one of the most critical nutrients that promote C capture in soil. It stimulates plant growth and in-creases C storage in plant residues and roots. A scientific review of more than 250 studies that compared soil organic C response to N additions reported that N fertilization increased C inputs to the soil from aboveground biomass by 36%, belowground roots by 23% and litter by 21%1. While the added N only increased soil C storage by about 4%, these addi-tions decreased the root-to-shoot ratios and accelerated litter decomposition, soil respiration and C mineralization, thus decreasing overall C capture. There are some concerns that the ben-efits of N fertilization are offset by po-tential increases in emissions of the greenhouse gas nitrous oxide (N2O) from the manufacture of fertilizers and their use in the field. However, N2O emissions

from N fertilizer use are directly related to surplus N, beyond that needed by the crop. These emis-sions can be avoided by improving N use efficiency through adequate and bal-anced fertilization and the implemen-tation of 4R Nutrient Stewardship. Applying the right source of N, includ-ing controlled re-lease fertilizers, ure-ase and nitrification inhibitors – at the right rate needed to optimize yield for a specific crop, at the right place in the soil, and at the right time it is or will be needed by the crop – can effectively limit N2O emissions and contribute to C sequestration. The use of fertilizer best management practices that are included within the scientific principles of the 4Rs can reduce N2O emissions without reducing crop yields.

ConclusionGlobal temperatures continue to in-crease as our climate changes. 2015 is likely to be the warmest year since re-cords began to be kept in 1880. High temperatures and elevated levels of at-mospheric CO2 are projected to benefit some crops and some regions, but to negatively impact others.Because the role of fertilizers in increas-ing agricultural productivity is key to global food security and to increasing yields on existing arable land (thus pre-serving forests and biodiversity), IFA, the International Plant Nutrition Institute (IPNI), and The Fertilizer Institute (TFI) joined the Global Alliance for Climate Smart Agriculture in September 2014 to encourage the industry to promote the proper use of our products to minimize their environmental impact in the field.

For more information about the Global Alliance for Climate Smart Agriculture (GACSA), go to www.fao.org/climate-smart-agriculture/en/

1 Lu et al. 2011. Minor stimulation of soil

carbon storage by nitrogen addition: A

meta-analysis. Agriculture, Ecosystems and

Environment 140:234-244.

ContactTerry RobertsPresident International Plant Nutrition Institute (UPNI), [email protected]

Main carbon stocks (Bt) – Flows, Bt/yrAdapted from Janzen 2015 and Le Quuéré et al. 2015. IPNI

cont’d from page 1

Fertilizers and climate smart agriculture

For more information on fertilizers and climate change, visit the IFA website:

www.fertilizer.org/ClimateChange

Read also the IFA media backgrounder

www.fertilizer.org/en/ItemDetail?iProductCode=10004Pdf&Category=ENV

Fertilizers and

Climate Change


Bangladesh has an expanding popula-tion of more than 168 million, which puts enormous stress on the decreasing amount of land being used for agricul-ture. (The total land area of Bangladesh is 130,170 square kilometres or 50,259 square miles.) Despite recent declines in poverty, nearly 25% of the popula-tion lives below the poverty line and individuals continue to struggle with food insecurity. These realities are most notable in southern Bangladesh, once considered the country’s breadbasket, where at least 30% of households derive their income from agriculture. While the Government of Bangladesh (GoB) has committed substantial resources and outside donor support remains strong, much work remains to be done in order to develop the rural economy of the south and improve the livelihoods of its inhabitants.Intense cultivation, combined with climatic pressure, is leading to acute soil depletion and a need to increase production on decreasing agricultural land while maintaining proper soil fertility and a healthy environment. Though these factors are difficult to address, there are efforts in Bangla-desh to improve the effective use of inputs, particularly fertilizers, to maxi-mize production. With respect to inputs, a combination of weak quality controls, poor knowledge of improved technolo-gies and lack of market information re-

sults in reduced yields and income po-tential for the poorest populations.Total demand for macronutrient fertil-izers during the last fiscal year (2014-15) was estimated at about 4.80 mil-lion tonnes. The Bangladesh Ministry of Agriculture (MoA), in consultation with the Department of Agricultural Exten-sion (DAE), fixes fertilizer requirements, with urea, TSP, DAP and MoP being used most widely. Besides assessing demand, the MoA calculates fertilizer production, import and price, as the GoB provides heavy subsidies (40-60%) on imported and locally produced urea, TSP, DAP and MoP to align with the purchasing capac-ity of farmers.

While the sup-ply of fertilizers is generally suffi-cient to meet de-mand, quality can be an issue, vary-ing in degree and magnitude with type and location. By far the most adulterated fertil-izers are micronu-trients such as zinc sulphate and boric acid, with up to

70% adulteration. The GoB has set speci-fications for microfertilizers, which nev-ertheless tend to be highly adulterated due to lack of enforcement of quality standards. In addition to tampering with genuine product, many unregistered companies are marketing fake or ex-pired products. Most of these companies do not have adequate storage facilities, and company personnel are unaware of the need for proper handling.To address adulteration, government fertilizer inspectors are inspecting and monitoring the shops of dealers and retailers more frequently. Fertilizer in-spectors and agricultural extension of-ficials are also helping to train dealers, retailers and farmers on identification techniques for quality fertilizers, as well as on the proper and efficient use of these fertilizers following the 4 Rs. All of these measures, however, require en-hanced support by the GoB and the pri-vate sector to provide adequate finance and training.To support work being done by the GoB on knowledge of quality inputs and to increase awareness of input adultera-tion, the United States Agency for Inter-national Development (USAID) funded Agro-Inputs Project (AIP), as part of the United States Government’s Feed the Future initiative and in partnership

Developing awareness of the quality and proper use of fertilizers in Bangladeshby Alexis Ellicott

February 2016 5

with Cultivating New Frontiers in Ag-riculture (CNFA), is raising awareness of quality fertilizers (along with seed, and crop protection products) among input retailers and farmers through a mass media campaign in Bangladesh’s southern delta. Information on the benefits of using quality fertilizers, government standards, conventional ways to recognize quality, and cor-rect application methods are being transmitted through print materials such as billboards, booklets and post-ers, cell phone Short Message Service (SMS) “blasts” and public service an-nouncements (PSAs). Moreover, CNFA has joined hands with the GoB’s Agri-culture Information Services for wider dissemination of the campaign’s mes-sages through community information centres and mobile video airing at rural levels. AIP supports more than 2500 agro-retailers through the Agro-Inputs Re-tailers’ Network (AIRN). AIRN, a first-of-its-kind inputs training and service provider, works with retailers com-mitted to supply quality agro-inputs, including fertilizers, to farmer cus-tomers. In order to create demand for quality inputs, AIRN retailers undergo training on the safe use of inputs and improved agronomic use of agro-in-puts. AIRN members, who agree to a code of business conduct, are commit-ted to identify and combat the adul-

teration of all inputs. Through AIP we will continue to work with the Government of Bangladesh, as well as fertilizer industry actors such as the Bangladesh Fertilizer Association (BFA), to increase the knowledge of quality fertilizers by promoting recog-nized industry standards for packaging, labelling and conformity with national regulations. Ensuring that Bangladeshi farmers have access to high-quality, un-adulterated inputs, especially fertilizers, is critical to the country’s journey to achieve food security, improve produc-tivity and generate higher incomes.

ContactAlexis EllicottCNFA Chief of Party for the USAID Agro-Inputs Project, [email protected]

Cultivating New Frontiers in Agriculture (CNFA) is an international non-profit organization headquartered in Wash-ington, D.C., USA and Brussels, Belgium with offices in 16 countries throughout Africa, Asia and Eastern Europe. CNFA works with businesses, foundations, governments and communities to build customized local and global partner-ships that meet the world’s growing demand for food. Since their inception in 1985, they have designed and imple-mented enterprise-based, agricultural development initiatives to facilitate market access, enhance agribusiness competitiveness, increase productivity and improve access to inputs and credit across 42 countries worldwide.

More informationwww.cnfa.org/program/agro-inputs-project/www.aipbd.orgwww.cnfa.org

IFA newsIFA Protect & Sustain is gathering speedProtect & Sustain is the de facto global product stewardship standard for fertilizers. It was developed by IFA members for IFA.Protect & Sustain allows fertilizer producers around the world to confidentially assess their plants’ performances and enables certified companies to dialogue with their local stakeholders about product stewardship in a much more efficient manner. IFA’s Hall of Fame now includes 28 producers of N, P, K in 43 countries. And Protect & Sustain is gathering speed: in 2016, it will be possible for other parts of the fertilizer value chain (ports, traders, transporters, distributors …) to become Protect & Sustain-certified by DNV and SGS, too. For questions about this program, please contact IFA’s Volker Andresen ([email protected]) and check-out the Protect & Sustain web site (www.protectandsustain.org).

IFA's Hard Hat Campaign - A full success


Universal Harvester Incorporated (UHI), established in 2003, is a leading ex-porter, manufacturer and distributor of organic and inorganic fertilizer in the Philippines. In 2015 the company also expanded into other agricultural areas.UHI has implemented a number of sup-port programmes into other agricul-tural business areas. Back-To-Farm (Balik Saka), undertaken in collaboration with the Junior Chamber International of the Philippines (JCI), is an especially note-worthy example of such a support pro-gramme. The brainchild of UHI’s Executive Vice President, Dr. Mila Ong How, the Back-To-Farm programme was designed to aid communities in the region of Eastern Visayas that had been devastated in No-vember 2013 by super typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda), one of the strongest tropical cyclones ever reported. Back-To-Farm’s main objective is to assist in the rehabili-tation and improvement of communi-ties in typhoon affected areas. Ensuring a sustainable agricultural livelihood in beneficiary communities will, in turn,

enable them to help other communities.Back-To-Farm utilizes farmers’ coop-eratives and associations to achieve its goals, which include: helping farmers re-turn to their damaged farms and jump-start their agricultural activities; reviving the productivity of farms through tech-nical and financial assistance; introduc-ing new crops; and encouraging greater cooperation among farmers.

Back-To-Farm empowers farmers to help their fellow farmers and to share the moral responsibility of passing on the benefits of the programme. Benefi-ciaries receive quality farm inputs at the lowest possible prices through tapping into the network of farmer organiza-tions as distribution hubs for commodi-ties. The programme also provides other avenues through which UHI can increase brand awareness, product discovery, brand interaction and partnerships, as well as improve customer relations and eventually extend its client network of farmers.This UHI programme is unique in three ways. First, it is a collaboration among the private sector, the government and beneficiary communities. Second, it teaches farmers about financial man-agement and the marketing of their produce. Third, and most importantly, it "pays back by paying forward" – it departs from the usual "dole out" mode of assistance to victims of natural calamities. In 2014 Back-To-Farm actively helped

Universal Harvester inc's Back-to-Farm programme in tHe pHilippines

Empowering small farmers and revitalizing farming communities in devastated areasby Lucille Ortile, Rommel Cunanan and Chelo Maderazo

February 2016 7

consistency have attracted major restau-rant chains (e.g. Shakey’s, McDonald’s and Max’s Restaurants), which buy the communities’ vegetables on a regular basis. In addition, the success of Back-To-Farm’s work with village communi-ties has resulted in activities by a number of donor agencies in the Philippines, in-cluding alternate livelihood and disaster preparedness programmes.

Contact Info:Tel. No: (+632) 709-5001 to 02, Fax. No. (+632)709-5006. [email protected], [email protected]: www.tofarm.org, www.universal-harvester.com

39 communities; in 2015 it was involved with 153 more. The total number of in-dividual beneficiaries of the programme is estimated at 53,000. Results so far show that up to 90% of the beneficiaries have improved their living conditions, as shown by their expansion into agri-busi-ness as well as the home improvements they have carried out and their larger bank deposits. Back-to-Farm can easily be replicated in other areas through 15-week train-ing programmes, financial management modules, correspondence and agree-ment templates, strategies and risk management lists, and expansion and interaction programmes. Another way in which Back-To-Farm has aided its beneficiary communities is by providing them with additional income streams through intercropping of vegetables or other high value crops (“cash crops”) with the rice and coconut crops that were previously the farmers’ only source of income. Since vegetables generally have shorter gestation periods than staple crops and can be planted year-round with high demand, the ben-eficiary communities are able to supply their province with vegetables previ-ously imported from distant locations in the Philippines such as the Luzon and Mindanao regions. The intercropped produce’s quality and


The International Zinc Symposium is a scientific conference whose pur-pose is to review the latest knowl-edge and best agricultural practices for addressing zinc deficiency and its impact on global crop production and human health. This year’s symposium, which took place in São Paulo, Brazil from 15 to 17 Octo-ber, was organized jointly by the Inter-national Zinc Association (IZA) and IFA, in collaboration with HarvestPlus. There were 160 registered participants from 38 countries. The three previous symposia took place in Perth (Australia) in 1993, Istanbul (Turkey) in 2007 and Hyderabad (India) in 2011. The 4th International Zinc Symposium demonstrated that links between the agricultural use of zinc (Zn) fertilizers and human nutrition and health are be-coming stronger. However, efforts need to be made to ensure that this linkage becomes even stronger in the future. Several presentations highlighted the importance of the foliar application of zinc fertilizers, and of better soil man-agement, for the enrichment of food crops with zinc. On-going breeding programmes under the HarvestPlus um-brella have begun to release very prom-ising new cereal lines that are high in zinc. According to Professor Ross Welch of Cornell University, USA, “the only sustainable solution to zinc deficiency in humans globally has to come from the agriculture sector. It is a “win-win” sce-nario – better crop production and bet-ter nutritional health. Zinc deficiency in

humans has its origins in the zinc status of agricultural soils and correcting the root cause of the problem, therefore, entails the use of agricultural tools.” The event in São Paulo began with a welcome speech by Professor Dr. Al-fredo Scheid Lopes (Federal University of Lavras, Brazil) followed by opening remarks by Andrew Green (IZA), Patrick Heffer (IFA) and Wolfgang Pfeiffer (Har-vestPlus).

Symposium sessionsSession 1: Human Nutrition and So-

cial Aspects (chaired by Ross Welch, USA)

Session 2: Plant Physiology, Genetics, and Molecular Biology (chaired by Martin Broadley, UK)

Session 3: Fertilizer Zinc and Crop Bio-fortification (chaired by Ellis Hoffland, Netherlands)

Session 4: Zinc in Soils and the Envi-ronment (chaired by Milton Moraes, Brazil).

One of the keynote speakers in São Paulo was Maria Elena Ugaz from the United Nations Chidren’s Fund (UNICEF), who is based in Peru. She spoke on efforts by UNICEF and IZA to minimize childhood chronic malnutrition in that country focusing on micronutrient (particularly zinc) deficiencies and diarrhoeal disease. Two interventions were used: multiple micronutrient supplements (MMS) and supplemental zinc to treat diarrhoeal disease. Both interventions have shown very positive results. In another keynote speech, Rainer Schul-in from ETH Zurich, Switzerland, showed that the application of crop residues in-creases extractable soil zinc and greatly contributes to grain zinc concentrations. He told the seminar participants that or-ganic matter management is a feasible approach to agronomic zinc biofortifica-tion of wheat. Fien Degryse of the University of Ad-elaide, Australia, pointed out in her keynote speech that zinc from fertilizers may precipitate with, for instance, phos-phate, depending on the form and con-centrations in which it is applied.

4th International Zinc SymposiumSão Paulo, Brazil 15-17 October 2015By Ismail Cakmak with contributions by the session chairs

Opening Session (from left to right: Wolfgang Pfeiffer (HarvestPlus), Ismail Cakmak (Sabancı University), Andrew Green (IZA), Alfredo Scheid Lopes (Lawras University) and Patrick Heffer (IFA).

February 2016 9

Other presentationsMarilia Nutti of the Brazilian Agricul-tural Research Corporation (EMBRAPA – Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Agro-pecuária) shared information on highly promising efforts in Latin America and the Caribbean in regard to biofortifica-tion of food crops. Manfred Zeller of the HarvestPlus pro-gramme made a presentation on the economic and social issues of zinc defi-ciency. He emphasized the substantial long-term economic and social impacts of biofortification programmes on hu-man populations in South Asia. The importance of zinc fertilization for both the production and nutritional quality of food crops was discussed by Martin Broadley of Nottingham Univer-sity, using Pakistan as an example. More than 80% of rice-wheat production areas in Pakistan’s Punjab Province are zinc de-ficient because there is little awareness among farmers, as well as low zinc fertil-izer availability. Using 5 kg/ha of zinc can increase rice and wheat yields by more than 10%, resulting in a 7:1 value/cost ratio. Wolfgang Pfeiffer of HarvestPlus pre-sented an overview of progress made by that programme in deploying bioforti-fied crops/products. Notably, there is in-creased adoption of high-zinc material, including biofortified wheat in India and Pakistan. HarvestPlus interacts with many stakeholders in different coun-tries to ensure that the message reaches smallholder farmers; for example, a television commercial in Rwanda high-lights the benefits of beans with high iron (Fe) content.

Luiz R.G. Guilherme of the Federal Uni-versity of Lavras, Brazil, stressed the importance of micronutrients for the progress made in his country’s agricul-tural production. Erik Smolders of Leuven University, Bel-gium, discussed zinc in the environment. Geological background values range from 5 to 150 mg Zn/kg, with a global es-timated value of about 50 mg Zn/kg. Zinc toxicity may occur in plants, depending on many factors. Clear examples of zinc toxicity in the environment can be found in the vicinity of zinc smelters. Sewage sludge is the principal means by which zinc enters the environment.The organizing committee of the 4th International Zinc Symposium plans to hold the 5th symposium either in Europe (probably Spain) or Asia (probably China) in 2018.

Abstracts of all oral and poster presen-tations are available at www.fertilizer.org//En/Knowledge_Resources/Library/Agriculture_Publications1.aspx

ContactIsmail Cakmak Sabanci University, [email protected]://zinccrops2015.org

160 participants from 38 countries attended the event.

IFA publicationsFertilización Foliar: Principios Científicos y Práctica de Campo. November 2015

This publication is available in Portuguese, and English as a hardcopy and as a pdf.

Responsible Plant Nutrition. C. Hebebrand, December 2015

Pour une nutrition des plantes responsable. C. Hebebrand, décembre 2015

All the publication can be downloaded at www.fertilizer.org//En/Knowledge_Re-sources/Library/IFA_Selection_Fertilizer_Use.aspx


Farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa face par-ticularly acute constraints on accessing productivity-enhancing inputs such as fertilizers. Paradoxically, although fertilizer markets in Africa have been liberalized since the 1990s, there is still low participation and investment by the private sector. Private sector actors continue to face numerous obstacles, including: over-crowding of the sector by govern-ments; poor port transport and storage infrastructure, which drives up transac-tion costs; the high cost of finance; and unpredictable policy environments, characterized by policy and regulatory barriers to marketing and trade.In response to these constraints, the East and Southern Africa Fertilizer (ESAF) Trade Platform, initiated by the African Fertilizer and Agribusiness Partnership (AFAP), in collaboration with the Alliance for Commodity Trade on East and Southern Africa (ACTESA) was established in 2014. The purpose of this initiative is to increase the amount of fertilizer produced, imported and distributed by the private sector in the region through providing a platform for public-private dialogue and joint action. While AFAP aims to establish, grow and support 500 new agribusi-nesses in the fertilizer sector in East and Southern Africa, the Trade Platform will support and facilitate this by: • bringing public and private stake-

holders together on a regular basis; • providingrelevant,up-to-datemarket

information, and generating and dis-seminating evidence on best practices and lessons learned, for fertilizer pol-icy and market development.

ESAF advisory committee chairperson Adam Mostert explains that: “The ESAF Trade Platform will drive these objectives at regional level. However, we recognize that the success and relevance of the Platform will depend greatly on what is going on at the national level. We will work closely with national partners to strengthen or establish relevant national

bodies that can feed into and benefit from the activities at the regional level.”To date, the Trade Platform has raised awareness and obtained stakeholder buy-in. ESAF has also identified the pri-vate sector’s needs so that it can increase its participation and engagement in the fertilizer space in the region. In its second phase the Trade Platform is harnessing the relationships established and knowledge gained during the first phase, so as to facilitate the creation of (or strengthen) national fertilizer trade associations and public-private dialogue platforms as well as to provide services, in order to help those concerned better engage in domestic and regional trade. ESAF is also facilitating the establish-ment of business-to-business and trade linkages along the supply chain to in-crease fertilizer supply and use by em-ploying various strategies. For exam-ple, the Trade Platform is developing a database of qualified buyers, to be linked with suppliers from the region and elsewhere that are seeking viable distribution conduits for their products in the region. ESAF is committed to organizing busi-ness fairs to bring together private fertilizer suppliers and agribusiness companies and facilitate agreements that will directly link fertilizer supply to demand from output markets. It is

also committed to generate knowledge on the status of the fertilizer market in the region, and on investment and trade opportunities, and to share this knowledge on a quarterly basis. ESAF’s first annual meeting, held on 24 and 25 September 2015 in Lusaka, Zam-bia, attracted over 250 delegates. They were mainly representatives of private fertilizer companies from all levels of the value chain, financial institutions, development partners, agro-dealers and farmers associations, along with policy and decision makers driving the region-al fertilizer agenda.Dr. Maria Wanzala, AFAP Regional Di-rector for East and Southern Africa and Director for the ESAF Trade Platform, points out: “The Trade Platform con-nects industry actors with each other and with government policy and deci-sion makers. It creates opportunities for private investors to identify and pursue new fertilizer market opportunities, and helps governments at national and regional levels to identify the policy and regulatory reforms they can intro-duce to create a more conducive envi-ronment for fertilizer sector growth.”

Contact infoEast and Southern Africa Fertilizer Trade Platform; Edenburg Terraces; 3rd Floor, Block D; 348 Rivonia Boulevard;Johannesburg, 2128; South AfricaTel: +27 11 844 7320Website: www.afap-partnership.org

ContactsMaria Wanzala (PhD), Executive DirectorEmail: [email protected] Pires, Project ManagerEmail: [email protected]

ESAF Trade Platform to enhance fertilizer supply in East and Southern AfricaBy Vongai Makamure

IFA Global Technical Symposium (New Delhi, 14 – 17 March, 2016)About 150 technology leaders from around 40 countries will meet at the IFA Global Technical Symposium in India to discuss strategic topics like climate change and fertilizer innovation. Many

best practices will be shared on new pro-duction processes and more efficient uti-lization. Side events will include open meetings of IFA’s Phosphogypsum and Method Harmonization working groups. Finally, all participants will be invited to join the Welcome Reception and a Gala

Dinner, plus to go on a technical site visit to the IFA Protect & Sustain-certified IF-FCO Kalol Unit. For more information, please visit the IFA Global Technical Sym-posium 2016 web site.

IFA Recent Events

More information on upcoming events: www.fertilizer.org/ifaevents

February 2016 11

IFA’s Communications & Agriculture MeetingOver 92 people from 32 countries attended this year’s Communications & Agriculture meeting in

Rome, which started with a special day dedicated to “Sustainable Plant Nutrition and Soil Health”. Following up on the Interna-tional Year of Soils, high level guest speakers from the FAO, IFAD, AFAP and a representative of the World Farm Organization, presented key take-aways, projects and case studies to assure a legacy for the UN annual initiative. IFA supports already several FAO programs like the Global Soil Partnership ( GSP) and the Global Alliance on Climate Smart Agriculture ( GACSA). The Com-munications & Agriculture Meeting represented a timely opportunity for the respective leaders of these programs to introduce their plans for 2016 to IFA members. Other topics covered during the three days event were Innovation, Nitrogen Use Efficiency and Climate Change.

IFA Upcoming Events

IFA Annual MeetingIFA’s well renowned Annual Meeting will be hold this year in Moscow from May 30 – June 1.

ifa-newdelhi2016.org

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE FERTILISER ASSOCIATION OF INDIA (FAI).


1st IFA Protect & Sustain workshop in China

Following an official invita-tion from the China Consul-tative Group which rep-resents the country’s larg-est fertilizer producers, IFA s u c c e s s f u l l y conducted its first Chinese

Protect & Sustain workshop in Beijing on 13 January 2016 (See also page 5). 21 Senior Executives from eight fertilizer producers, as well as the national N, P, K, and Sulfuric Acid associations participated in this major event (see photo) to kick off this product stewardship certification program in China. A delegation of international speakers was led by Volker Andresen from IFA and included guests from the partner-auditors of DNV and SGS, plus Yara China. During the day, the workshop covered the background of Protect & Sustain, the case study of Yara International who certified plants in many countries around the world, and a detailed review of the survey’s questions. The Sec-retariat would like to thank China Blue Chemicals for hosting this memorable event.

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on paper from sustainably managed forests.

International Fertilizer Industry Association28, rue Marbeuf, 75008 Paris, FranceTel: +33 1 53 93 05 00 Fax: +33 1 53 93 05 45/[email protected] www.fertilizer.org @FertilizerNews!

Fertilizers & Agriculture is a quarterly newsletter published by IFA covering issues in relation to fertilizers and sustainable agriculture.

Mailing listSubscription to Fertilizers & Agriculture is free of charge. To receive a hard copy, send full address details to be added to the mailing list. Additional copies may be supplied to organizations to circulate on behalf of IFA. To consult current and past issues of Fertilizers & Agriculture: www.fertilizer.org/newsletters

ContributionsWe invite your contributions of letters, documents, articles, photographs, etc.

Director General of IFA: Charlotte HebebrandEditor-in-Chief: Claudine Aholou-Pütz

Material in F&A may be reproduced only after prior consent by IFA.

Reference to individuals, publications, research, products, companies or organizations does not indicate endorsement by IFA.

For information on IFA’s activities:www.fertilizer.org© International Fertilizer Industry Association 2016


IFA Product Security Roundtable in IstanbulNitrogenous fertilizers can be misused by ter-rorists to produce Im-provised Explosive De-vices (IED). To reduce the likelihood of this to happen in Turkey and with a particular focus on the Islamic State of Syria and Iraq (ISIS), an IFA Product Security Roundtable was organized in Is-tanbul on 19 January 2016. 20 meeting par-

ticipants came from the local industry and Jordan, from IFA’s Product Security Work-ing Group and the Secretariat, as well as from the Joint Improvised-Threat Defeat Agency (JIDA) and the World Customs Organization (see photo). Following an over-view of the global IED situation and the flow of AN, CAN, PN, and urea in the region, best international practices to address this problem were shared and potential actions for the local industry and the Turkish government were reviewed. This discussion will continue on local level in February. For more information contact Volker Andresen at [email protected].

More information at www.protectandsustain.org

Evaluate your Environmental PerformanceIFA’s biennial Environmental Performance Benchmark is calling all fertilizer produc-ers for participation. For over a decade now, this popular survey has monitored global performance in roughly fifty in-dustrial emissions. It has generated spe-cific assessments across the major fertil-izer product areas to allow participating companies to establish local targets, to measure performance against the best plants in the industry, and to accurately and credibly communicate with stake-holders. As always, this IFA benchmark entails no cost to members and all data is kept strictly confidential. The deadline of this year’s edition is 31 March 2016. If your company would like to participate don’t hesitate to contact IFA’s bench-marking team [email protected].

fertilizers & agriculture february 2015

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