Reflections on ONS 2022

The ONS Foundation is a non-profit organization facilitating discussions and collaboration on energy, technology and innovation. Last week, it brought together executives, policymakers, youth and other stakeholders to discuss the future. The future of the energy sector. The future of the planet. The well-known ‘energy trilemma’ – availability / affordability / sustainability was the key word of many conversations.

IFA Annual Conference 2022 – Market Themes and Key Takeaways

How to navigate market risks while pursuing sustainability goals was the focus of the IFA Annual Conference in Vienna, Austria. The conference brought together the key players in the fertilizer industry. Expert speakers and panelists brought insights into short- and long-term systemic risks and discussed strategies for increasing value for all stakeholders at this dynamic time in the global economy.

This blog post summarizes the discussion and debates that took place on May 30 – 31, and key takeaways from industry leaders.

How Do Droughts Affect Food Systems

12 Environmental and Health Benefits of Nutrient Stewardship

Why are fertilizer prices so high?

By Laura Cross
IFA Market Intelligence Service

Nutrient Management and Biodiversity

By Dr. Simon Attwood
Agriculture, human health, climate change and biodiversity are all interwoven

The Fertilizer Industry Sets the Standard for Safety and Security

Product safety, security and sustainability are a concern for many businesses. For the fertilizer industry they are so important that it created its own bespoke best practices certification.

Plant Nutrient Management and Biodiversity

Biodiversity is fundamental to the well-being of people and the future of our planet. Global efforts and concrete actions are required to halt its continuous decline.

Dr. Gururaj Guddappa Kulkarni on IRRI’s New Bio-innovation Center, Climate Change-Ready Rice and NUE

Dr. Gururaj Guddappa Kulkarni is Director of the new IRRI Bio-innovation Center as well as an IRRI Senior Scientist and the Global Head of Research Infrastructure and Regulatory Compliance.

8 Human Health Benefits of Fertilizers

By ensuring a concentrated, consistent and easily accessible supply of nutrients that plants need to grow, be healthy and resilient, mineral fertilizers not only ensure food security, but also provide numerous other health benefits for humans.

5 Environmental Benefits of Nutrient Stewardship

Fertilizers provide plants with concentrated, consistent and readily available nutrients that are vital for their growth, health and resilience to climate stress.

Growing US Population Potassium Deficiency Linked to Crop Removal from Soils

A recently published research paper in the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry has found evidence that the agricultural crop removal of potassium (K) is likely to have contributed to the decline in dietary K intake and rise in the prevalence of hypokalemia (K deficiency) in the US population.

Dr. André Bationo on Supporting Smallholders, Micro-Dosing and Warrantage, and Ways to Improve Soil Fertility in Africa

Dr. André Bationo is Chief of Party for the Smallholder Agricultural Productivity Enhancement Program (SAPEP) and winner of the 2020 Africa Food Prize, and 2009 IFA Norman Borlaug Award, for his work on micro-dosing and warrantage in West Africa.

Practical solutions to sustainably intensify agriculture in sub-Saharan Africa

An agronomic revolution is needed in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), which is home to 31% of the world’s 821 million hungry, according to the FAO (2019). The challenge is to move SSA from the current situation, characterized by an important food demand- supply gap, to sustainable intensification (SI).

Applying Crushed Rocks on Farmland Could Help Capture Billions of Extra Tonnes of CO2 per Year Says New Study

A new study led by the University of Sheffield, published in Nature in July, claims that spreading rock dust on farmland could remove up to up to two billion tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) from the air per year.

Plant Micronutrient Uptake Challenges and the Benefits of Chelated Fertilizers

Adam Nawrocki, Director of ADOB, explains why plants can have difficulties accessing micronutrients and explains some of the advantages of using chelated micronutrients in both soils and fertigation.

Agronomic Biofortification Programs and Their Potential to Overcome Global Iodine Deficiencies

Dr. Katja Hora, Specialty Plant Nutrition Research Manager at SQM, talks about why iodine is so important for the human diet, the role of food that has been biofortified with fertilizers and how Italy is leading the way in commercialization of the concept.

The Potential of Fertilizers to Further Reduce Hidden Hunger in Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs)

Written by Dr. Howarth Bouis, HarvestPlus Director and 2016 World Food Prize Laureate and, Dr. Ismail Cakmak, Sabanci University Professor and HarvestZinc project coordinator.

Micronutrients’ Roles in Improving Crop Yields and the Effectiveness of Nanoscale Formulations

Adam Nawrocki, Director of ADOB, explains why plants can have difficulties accessing micronutrients and explains some of the advantages of using chelated micronutrients in both soils and fertigation.