General Standing Committees

IFA's activities are conducted largely through three committees that cover the fertilizer life cycle:

The Agriculture Committee looks at fertilizer demand and issues related to the use of fertilizers.

The Production and International Trade Committee (PIT) prepares statistics and analyses with regard to fertilizer supply and trade.

The Technical Committee provides a platform to promote innovation in production technology. The committee also looks at safety, health and environmental issues and other aspects of managing production facilities.

Each committee enjoys full-time support from the IFA Secretariat.

Agriculture Committee

The objectives of the Agriculture Committee are:

• to address issues facing fertilizer demand,
• to promote the efficient, balanced and responsible use of fertilizers,
• to improve the public image of fertilizers and
• to develop reliable and authoritative fertilizer demand forecasts.

The Committee provides, twice a year, a report on the prospects for world agriculture and fertilizer demand. Analysis of the factors affecting fertilizer demand, new agricultural developments and policy changes are communicated to the members by inviting relevant experts to IFA's Annual Conference and Regional Conferences.

The Agriculture Committee's statistics include:

• publication of IFADATA with time series by product from 1973/74 for the production, trade and consumption of fertilizers;
• inputs on fertilizer demand for the statistics compiled by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO);
• assessment of fertilizer use by crop.

The Committee organizes on average every three years on average an Agriculture Conference, which addresses a mix of technical, economic and policy issues, that relate to food, feed, fiber and bioenergy production, human health, the environment and market development. Between two Agricultural Conferences, the Committee organizes as well, on an ad hoc basis, workshops or symposia focusing on specific topics (e.g. on micronutrients in 2004, on enhanced-efficiency fertilizers in 2005, on zinc and on fertilizer best management practices in 2007).

The Committee prepares and disseminates publications and position/issue papers, through the work of ad hoc task forces on issues relating to fertilizer use. Studies on various aspects of fertilizer use are also supported by IFA. The Committee also contributes to the development and promotion of fertilizer best management practices.

The Committee manages the IFA International Crop Nutrition Award, which is granted on an annual basis to senior soil or crop nutrition scientists, who have contributed to significant advances in crop nutrition, which have been communicated successfully to the farmers in the form of practical recommendations.

IFA's sponsorship of research and development projects on fertilizer use currently includes:

• West Africa: fertilizer use and sustainable agricultural development;
• Asia: site-specific nutrient management in rice;
• Indonesia: site-specific nutrient management in maize;
• Mozambique: maize intensification;
• Human health: zinc fertilizer project.

Currently, the Committee's structure comprises the following working groups and task forces:

• Working Group on Fertilizer Demand Forecasts,
• Task Force on Bionergy,
• Training Task Force,
• Working Group on Fertilizer Use Constraints,
• Task Force on Fertilizer Best Management Practices,
• Task Force on Fertilizer Use and Human Health,
• Working Group on Special Products.

Production and International Trade (PIT) Committee

Twice a year, the committee provides a global assessment of fertilizer supply and trade. Factors affecting fertilizer supply and trade policy changes are communicated to members on an ongoing basis. Statistics are compiled quarterly, semi-annually and annually, depending on the products involved, for a total of more than 40 reports per year. Four specialized working parties (dealing with ammonia and derived products, phosphate, potash and sulphur) assist in the preparation of these statistics.

The annual PIT conference provides an opportunity for members to follow industry developments and learn about changes in the international policy environment relating to fertilizer supply and trade.

The committee monitors policy developments with regard to international trade in fertilizers and related products.

Technical Committee

The IFA Technical Committee encourages the development and adoption of technology improvements that can lead to greater production efficiencies and reduced emissions and discharges - as well as better health and safety standards throughout the fertilizer industry.

A primary element of its work is to regularly conduct surveys and produce reports on key industry metrics, including energy efficiency, safety and emissions. This enables IFA members to assess operations over time, make performance comparisons with similar facilities, determine the need for technology improvements and identify good industrial and management practices.

Safety
Since 2001, IFA has been benchmarking safety in the fertilizer industry by surveying members and reporting on Lost Time Injuries (LTI). Based on data collected over the first three years, the benchmark LTI rate for the fertilizer industry is estimated between 4.60 and 5.90 - a very low and respectable rate compared to other industries.

Energy & Greenhouse Gases
In 2004, IFA conducted its first study of energy consumption in ammonia production and this sector's greenhouse gas emissions. Our first report showed a trend for newer plants to perform better than older ones and for larger facilities to be more efficient than their smaller counterparts. The group leaders consume between 28 and 33 gigaJoules per mt ammonia. The average carbon dioxide emissions per tonne of ammonia for the facilities surveyed was 2 mt CO2 with an average recovery rate of some 38 percent.

Emissions
The biennial IFA Emissions Survey has been designed to create a practical and useful benchmark on key emissions associated with fertilizer production. Across the 52 indicators reported, we found that a median of 78 percent of surveyed plants were in conformity with existing/older technology; and a median of 44 percent met the more stringent requirements expected from new technology.

Education & Advocacy
The Technical Committee recognizes that customers, markets and regulatory environments are best served by clear and concise information on the fertilizer industry and its practices and products. It draws upon the knowledge and expertise found within the fertilizer industry to develop materials across a wide range of policy issues. Activities underway for 2005 include:

• Conducting a review of current sampling standards promulgated by intergovernmental organizations;
• Developing a 'white paper' on product stewardship issues relevant to the fertilizer industry;
• Producing policy reports on regulations concerning both impurities in fertilizers and emission permits for fertilizer production;
• Engaging on the critical issue of climate change, and providing industry expertise to the work of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change;
• Formulating a work plan to address radiation in the workplace and residual radioactivity in phosphogypsum.

Training & Networking
The Technical Committee develops a variety of workshops designed for engineers working in the fertilizer industry, enabling them to deepen their technical knowledge (e.g. nitrogen and phosphate fertilizer production) as well as share their experiences and discuss relevant technical, economic, safety and environmental issues.

Every two years, the Committee organizes a Technical Symposium to examine technical progress in the fertilizer production and to discuss related issues.

The theme of the 2008 Symposium was: "Food, Fuel and Climate Change: Challenges for the Fertilizer Industry."