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February 2014

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Focus onThe Fertiliser Association of New Zealand

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It is my pleasure to address Fertilizers & Agriculture readers as incoming

Chairman of the IFA Technical & SHE Committee. I am pleased to take on

this role, particularly in times when sustainabil-ity issues are such a criti-cal component of our industry’s discussions. This Committee is spear-heading the promotion of sustainable fertilizer production globally. At the heart of its strategy

is the widespread adoption of safety, health, and environment (SHE) best management practices, and innovation in production technology. These matters are extremely important to the fertilizer industry’s long-term vi-ability and profitability.

Recognizing the need for industry improvement There is no more room for debate: the world needs to produce more food to nourish its growing population, and it cannot meet this acute need without innovative fertilizers and balanced crop nutrition practices. It is widely recognized that the manu-facture of our products involves com-plex processes. These processes have intrinsic hazards that must be carefully managed. Important improvements in technical knowledge and management systems have greatly helped to reduce potential dangers; however, there is no zero risk in any business and accidents can, and still do, occur.

The starkest recent example was the ex-plosion at the West Fertilizer blending facility in Texas, where 15 people were killed and many more were injured. The effects were felt by the fertilizer value chain around the world. The accident and its aftermath are simply not accept-able, which is why senior managers – whether they work for an IFA member or not – must be held accountable for SHE performance.

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Update on fertilizer subsidies in Asiaby Rakesh KapurThe main findings emerging from the panel discussion on fertilizer subsidies during the IFA Crossroads Asia-Pacific Conference in Bali in December 2014 are summarised below.

Subsidies play an important role in increasing fertilizer use and agricultural productivity• Different countries have different

forms of fertilizer subsidies, based on local social, political and economic factors. Developed as well as develop-ing countries provide subsidies to pro-mote and sustain agriculture.

• Subsidies have played a vital role in increasing fertilizer use, leading to greater agricultural production in developing countries and helping to

ensure food security and nutrition. Enhanced fertilizer use has enabled higher crop production across the globe.

Promoting sustainability and innovation in fertilizer productionby Jim Prokopanko

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Distribution of fertilizers

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2 fertilizers & agriculture

In talking to industry colleagues at IFA’s Enlarged Council Meeting in December I concluded that there is full recognition of these incidents’ extensive impact on our collective business and our ability to succeed in the future. The consequences include serious injury or loss of life, dev-astating environmental damage, pro-longed production disruption, and the loss of customers or suppliers. Excellence in SHE management and governance must be the industry's ob-jective. The benefits are many, including less downtime, higher plant availability, more predictable maintenance budgets, longer life spans for plants and equip-ment, and significantly improved plant efficiency and flexibility. It is important to note that in most cases, accidents can be avoided if best management prac-tices are in place.

Strengthening our industry through sustainability and innovation This year, the IFA Technical & SHE Com-mittee is working to increase our indus-try’s sustainability and innovation in fer-tilizer production.

Protect & SustainSince 2011, the Committee has initiated this global product stewardship pro-gramme. With each year the initiative gains momentum and visibility, as more IFA producer members experience the benefits of participation. In short, Protect & Sustain provides advice, guidance and structure for ap-proaching product stewardship in the fertilizer industry. Protect & Sustain is not about forcing a new standard or regulation on the industry. Rather it pro-vides the catalyst for change through a framework for improving safety, securi-ty and sustainability inside the “factory gate.” It also helps establish strategies that encourage business partners to do the same “outside the factory gate” and across the fertilizer value chain.I request all producer members to parti cipate in Protect & Sustain, and become

certified by IFA under this de facto glob-al fertilizer standard. You will notice, through the programme’s assessment module, that your company will quickly be able to identify its current status rela-tive to other SHE leaders, easily imple-ment improvements to procedures, and demonstrate your commitment to the rest of the industry and to stakeholders. My company, The Mosaic Company, was just recently certified under Protect & Sustain.Change must come from the top, which is why I am making an appeal to all fer-tilizer producer CEOs and senior execu-tives to achieve certification. The first step is to contact the IFA Secretariat and to set up an online account on pro-tectandsustain.org. You will see that the evaluation tool is easy to use and that most – if not all – questions reflect com-mon sense operations today. And for those producers who wish to participate in IFA’s biennial Green Leaf Award for SHE ex-cellence, this is a way to score a significant num-ber of extra points to-wards your victory.

Growth through innovation The Committee’s ac-tions do not stop with championing product stewardship. As previously mentioned, the focus is on increasing technology and process inno-vation. We are working closely with IFA’s Innovation and Research working group to encourage more investment in this area. Our Global Technical Symposium in Amsterdam (1-3 April) will be entirely devoted to fertilizer innovation, both in production and beyond (see page 3).

Data driven progressYou cannot improve what you cannot measure. That is why we continue to develop global industry benchmarks. A new benchmark, involving the Com-mittee’s international partnership with the US-based National Safety Council, measures Employee Safety Perceptions. A pilot survey conducted in 2013 took stock of global fertilizer producers’ prac-tices. The resulting indicators showed participating companies that there is al-ways room for improvement. The survey is now available to every IFA member in 20 languages. This survey fits nicely with the 10th edi-tion of IFA’s Employee Safety Bench-mark, which is the industry standard for Lost-Time Injuries and Total Recordable Injuries measurement. This yearly survey helps our members to rate their perfor-mance against the best in the industry.

As with Protect & Sus-tain, I will attest that The Mosaic Company has used this survey and has found it to comple-ment the already exten-sive SHE efforts we had in place.Finally, this year also marks the appearance of the 7th Global Envi-ronmental Performance Benchmark. This survey

has evolved into the yardstick for gaug-ing environmental performance, thus establishing key performance indicators for some 50 emissions across the major fertilizer areas. Act now to help our industry be its best We have seen that there are indeed some inherent risks to manufacturing

The cost of inaction could be drastic to indi-vidual producers and to the industry, as avoidable accidents affect capital costs, income, insurance costs, investment confi-dence and shareholder value...

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Haber-Bosch: The discovery that changed the world During the IFA Council Meeting in De-cember in Paris, Thomas Hager presented a commemorative lecture on the 100th year anniversary of the commercializa-tion of Haber-Bosch process.

View the video at www.youtube.com/watch?v=zysSnH7GZCE&feature=youtu.be

IFA’s Technical Committee expands its name to Technical & SHE CommitteeTo acknowledge that safety, health, and environment (SHE) have become a sub-stantial part of the IFA Technical Com-mittee’s action plan in recent years, its name has expanded to IFA Technical & SHE Committee in 2014. The initiatives and team behind this new organization title, however, remain the same.

Food & Farming in 2030 Farming First released its new infograph-ic which looks at agriculture’s role in the post-2015 development agenda and the establishment of a set of Sustainable De-velopment Goals (SDGs).

The infographic puts a creative spin on the post-2015 agenda by fast-forwarding to the year 2030 when the SDGs are ex-pected to expire in order to ask the ques-tion, “Are we taking the necessary steps NOW to deal with these 2030 expecta-tions". On launch day, the infographic was re-tweeted over 700 times and at-tracted the greatest single number of visitors on the Farming First website.www.farmingfirst.org/Post2015

fertilizers, but through commitment and focus companies can implement SHE best practices and product stewardship to greatly reduce these hazards. Central to achieving excellence is the involve-ment of senior management, beginning with the CEO.

More information

IFA Global Technical Symposium http://ifa-amsterdam2014.org

IFA Protect and Sustain web site www.protectandsustain.org

IFA Green Leaf Award for SHE www.fertilizer.org/ifa/HomePage/INITIATIVES/IFA-SHE-Award

Fertilizer technology perspectives: Innovation at the horizonThe Global Technical Symposium takes place every two years at the beginning of April and is for IFA members only. This time it is organized by the Technical & SHE Commit-tee in partnership with IFA’s working group on Innovation & Research. Approximately 150 technology leaders from around 50 countries will meet in Europe’s perhaps most vibrant city center to discuss the topic of innovation in fertilizers. Best practices will be shared on new production processes and more efficient utilization. Side events will include an open meeting of IFA’s working group on NORM in Phos-phogypsum. And on Day 3, participants are invited to attend a technical site visit. You may choose between Yara’s nitrogen production facility in Sluiskil to discover its innovative WarmCo²(Green Security) project and the PK/NPK production facility of ICL Fertilizers Europe in Amsterdam.Early Bird Registration Deadline (including event hotel rooms at negotiated prices) is 28 February.

For more information and the preliminary programme, please visit: www.ifa-amsterdam2014.org

IFA newsThe cost of inaction could be drastic to individual producers and to the indus-try, as avoidable accidents affect capital costs, income, insurance costs, invest-ment confidence and shareholder value – as well as the “fertilizer brand”. On the other hand, doing it right from the start pays large dividends over the long term. I wish you all a healthy, happy and pros-perous 2014!

Jim Prokopanko is Chairman of IFA Com-mittee's Strategic Advisory Team (SAT) and President & CEO, The Mosaic Com-pany, USA

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THE FERTILISER ASSOCIATION OF NEW ZEALAND

Responding to the challenges of growing agriculture responsiblyby Philip Mladenov

Founded over 60 years ago, the Fer-tiliser Association of New Zealand

(FANZ) is the industry organisation rep-resenting New Zealand’s two main fertil-izer companies, Ballance Agri-Nutrients and Ravensdown Fertiliser Co-opera-tive. These companies manufacture, distribute and market 98 percent of all fertilizers sold in New Zealand. Both are farmer-owned cooperatives, and together they have over 45,000 farmer shareholders. In support of industry common good, FANZ funds research, develops training programmes, par-ticipates in government and local body working groups, and works closely with other organizations in the agricultural sector to promote responsible nutrient management. The agriculture industry is at the core of New Zealand’s economy. One of the New Zealand government’s economic growth priorities is to double the value of agricultural exports by 2025, but to do so within environmental limits. This includes appropriate management of diffuse losses of nitrogen and phospho-rus from farms in order to maintain and

improve freshwater quality.In support of the growth of agricultural production within environmental limits, FANZ seeks to ensure that good nutrient science informs regulation. It assists cen-tral and regional government authori-ties to deliver nutrient management programmes and initiatives which meet their environmental objectives. As part of this programme, FANZ is developing a comprehensive, best-practice system for managing the use of agricultural nutrients to help farmers grow their businesses sustainably. The approach is effects-based, with an emphasis on man-aging nutrient losses as opposed to sim-ply controlling inputs. This provides for flexibility and innovation, which allows for continued growth of the primary production sector.FANZ and its members are investing in five key areas in support of best practice nutrient management:

Decision support tools A key component of our effects-based nutrient stewardship system is a world class nutrient management decision support tool – the OVERSEER® nutrient budgets model – that models nutrient

inputs, cycling and losses for a range of farming systems across New Zealand (www.overseer.org.nz). The develop-ment of this tool has been supported over the last 20 years through a partner-ship between the fertilizer industry, the government (through its Ministry for Primary Industries) and AgResearch, one of New Zealand’s leading agricultural re-search organisations.

Training and certificationAnother key component of our nutrient stewardship system is the development of human capacity in the form of highly trained and qualified nutrient manage-ment advisers. FANZ has invested in the development of postgraduate courses in sustainable nutrient management. More recently, it has worked with the New Zealand dairy industry to develop a certification programme for nutrient management advisers. This programme was formally launched at the end of 2013 (www.nmacertification.org.nz/site/nutrient_management).

Codes of practiceFANZ has developed a Code of Practice for Nutrient Management with a tem-

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plate for nutrient management plans and documentation of good manage-ment practices. FANZ supports the Spreadmark Codes of Practice, which ensure accurate placement of fertiliz-ers on the ground and by air to maxi-mize agricultural benefits and minimize environmental harm. In addition, the Fertmark Code of Practice provides as-surance that the fertilizers supplied by registered companies are reliable and meet specified chemical standards (www.fertqual.co.nz).

Research and technology transferFANZ and its member companies support and carry out a broad range of innova-tive research and technology transfer programmes promoting the sustainable use of nutrients. The overall aim of this research is to substantially improve nu-trient use efficiency and reduce nutrient losses in a range of farming systems.

Recognizing and rewarding good practiceFinally, the New Zealand fertilizer indus-try supports innovative farmers by spon-soring a range of environmental awards. The key objective of these awards is to show that profitable farming need not compromise environmental values. In-deed, innovative farmers have shown that the environment can be both re-stored and enhanced under profitable farming systems.The ultimate goal of FANZ’s on-going nutrient stewardship initiatives is to develop an internationally recognized nutrient management assurance system that delivers on the government’s objec-tive to expand the agricultural sector; supports responsible intensification of farming; and helps New Zealand farm-

ers produce premium agricultural prod-ucts with some of the highest nutrient conversion efficiencies and lowest nutri-ent footprints in the world.

Contact

Dr Philip MladenovChief ExecutiveThe Fertiliser Association of New Zealand Incorporatedphilip.mladenov@fertiliser.org.nzwww.fertiliser.org.nz

IFA newsFeeding The World 2014 - Sustainable solutions for a global crisisIFA President, Ms Esin Mete and IFA's Chairman of the Agriculture Commit-tee, Jorgen Haslestadt, will be speaking at The Economist "Feeding the World" conference on 13 February in Londonwww.economistinsights.com/sustainability-resources/event/feeding-world-2014/programme

IFA team at the UN in New York

A 16-person delegation (Fertecon, GPIC, IFDC, IRM, Mosaic, OCP, Stamicarbon, To-ros Agri, Yara) attended the negotiations on the Sustainable Development Goals in New York on 25 to 27 November led by Esin Mete, IFA President and Abdul Rahman Jawahery, IFA’s Vice-President for Sustainable Development. In addi-tion, the team held over ten bilateral meetings with country missions as well as key UN staff involved in the process. The team also joined the newly formed Global Business Alliance, charged with coordinating business messages in the post-2015 agenda. The IFA team advocated for a stand alone goal for eradicating hunger and ma lnut r i t ion and highlight-ed the key role of fertilizers at the nexus of food, nutrition, human health and economic development. The team also attended the Farming First side-event on the same topic where IFA's President was the keynote speaker.www.fertilizer.org/ifa/HomePage/SUS-TAINABILITY/IFA-UN-Tour-Nov.-2013

Spray irrigation on a dairy pasture

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In the Black Sea region, where tea plants are grown, the majority of

agricultural workers are women. Tea plants are cultivated on the steep slopes of hills, up which it is very difficult to carry heavy items such as fertilizer bags. At one time, all Toros fertilizers were de-livered in 50 kg bags across Turkey. A so-lution was therefore needed for women who work in this rough terrain. In 2010, Toros took the initiative to de-sign a system for delivering CAN (cal-cium ammonium nitrate) and the most commonly used compound fertilizer (25.5.10), especially formulated for tea plants, in 25 kg bags. The aim of this project was to help women farmers by lightening their load.This change was not easy to implement. Everything from the design of the bag to the bag production line, as well as loading/unloading mechanisms, needed to be changed. While that represented a significant invesment, the benefits and

the women’s reaction were worth it. The women were happy that their complaints had been heard. The Toros initiative had a direct influence on farmers’ working conditions. Not only were health prob-

Toros’ 25 kg bags lighten the burden of women farmers in Turkeyby Beril Yalçin

lems addressed, but the everyday lives of women farmers were improved. This initiative has been such a success that the change is reflected in sales in the region. The 25 kg bags are sold throughout the Black Sea region, affecting all women farmers working in fields where tea plants and hazelnut trees are grown. The change has been in effect since 2010. The 25 kg bags are still very much in demand, and both customers and producers are content. Social respon-sibility and sales objectives alike have been met by this project.

ContactBeril YalçınHSE Chief Social Responsibility ChiefToros Tarım Sanayi ve Ticaret ASIstanbul, Turkeyberil.yalcin@toros.com.trwww.toros.com.tr

Farmer outreachThis article is the second in the series of “innovative ideas on effec-tive last-mile delivery” undertaken by IFA members.

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• Developing countries are faced with the constraint of fragmented land holdings. Many farmers in these countries produce no or a very limit-ed marketable surplus of agricultural produce. Small and marginal farmers have therefore benefitted consider-ably from fertilizer subsidies, resulting in the affordability and efficient use of land and labour. Regional subsidies that encourage land consolidation are also being offered (e.g. in China).

• Low-input/low-output prices in ag-riculture are preferable to protect low-income populations. High-input/high-output prices may be greater than small and marginal farmers and poorer consumers of food grains are able to pay.

• In order to keep fertilizer prices af-fordable, subsidies are also being given for feedstocks and inputs (natu-ral gas/power) as well as for cost com-ponents in the value chain such as rail transport and storage. Transport subsidies are particularly relevant in land-locked and remote areas. Other forms of subsidies include those for in-terest on loans for buffer stocking of fertilizers during the off season, and special subsidies for foliar application of fertilizer on winter wheat in a later growth stage to increase yield (e.g. in China).

• The removal of fertilizer subsidies may make farming unprofitable. Any dras-tic or sudden reduction has serious im-plications.

Fertilizer subsidies present a significant challenge for developing countries’ budgets• Fertilizer subsidies account for a sig-

nificant share of total support to ag-riculture. They have increased con-siderably in the last seven to eight years, mainly due to steep increases in international prices of fertilizers and feedstocks/raw materials, increased consumption, and lower/unchanged farm gate prices.

• Subsidies are progressively becoming less relevant and creating heavy fiscal

burdens. The sustainability of fertiliz-er subsidies is becoming a major issue. Providing fertilizer subsidies at man-ageable levels is very important for fiscal budgets. Financial crises in cer-tain countries have resulted in some curtailment of subsidies.

Fertilizer pricing policies and the extent of subsidization in large consumer countries can significantly impact world trade in fertilizer

Fertilizer subsidies can lead to imbalanced nutrient management• Overuse of cheaper subsidized fertiliz-

ers has contributed to imbalanced and inefficient fertilization. Lowering of the water table, deterioration of soil conditions and negative fertilizer re-sponse ratios are some of the adverse consequences of such overuse.

• Fertilizer pricing policies need to be rationalized. Experience with the nutrient-based subsidy scheme for P and K fertilizers (in India) is relevant. Deregulating the retail prices of only some fertilizers could create more ab-errations/distortions, as experienced in India (P and K vs. urea). Price distor-tions have resulted in unbalanced use of urea vs. P and K fertilizers in India.

Considerations on reforming subsidiesReducing the fiscal burden• Deregulation of fertilizer prices and

decontrol of the sector have enabled increased domestic fertilizer produc-tion and availability, higher crop pro-duction as a result of enhanced/bal-anced fertilizer use, reduction of the subsidy burden, and an increase in fer-tilizer prices. However, there is greater imbalance of fertilizer use in cases of partial decontrol.

• The retail price increase for fertilizers in recent years has been lower than for other commodities. Lower farm gate retail prices have kept farmers isolated from market price realities. Fertilizer prices should be adjusted in line with inflation to contain subsidy levels.

• Also to contain subsidy levels, avoid-able taxes/duties such as the VAT should be eliminated.

• Increased domestic fertilizer pro-duction, with energy and other in-puts supplied at reasonable costs, has enabled countries to contain their subsidy bills. However, fertil-izer subsidies through prioritization and price subsidization in the supply of feedstocks (such as natural gas)

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2013 IFA CROSSROADS ASIA-PACIFIC CONFERENCE, BALI, INDONESIA

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Update on fertilizer subsidies in Asia

8 fertilizers & agriculture

are becoming increasingly difficult. There are growing pressures from other sectors to obtain natural gas with priority over the fertilizer sec-tor. Countries have started to impose restrictions on the allocation of addi-tional natural gas for increased fertil-izer production, including on its con-cessional price.

Promoting balanced nutrient management• Fertilizer subsidization policy should

promote balanced fertilizer use and enhance fertilizer use efficiency through an Integrated Nutrient Man-agement system.

• Instead of spending increasing gov-ernment funds on fertilizer subsidies, these funds should be used for farm-ers’ education and to provide them with the means to carry out efficient agricultural production.

• Fertilizer distribution and crop mar-keting systems should be made more efficient and cost-effective.

Channeling subsidies effectively• Where the fertilizer industry has

been obliged to act as a conduit for disbursement of fertilizer subsidies to farmers, a negative public percep-tion of the industry has been cre-ated which needs to be corrected. The fertilizer industry should not be perceived as an inefficient industry in need of financial support through subsidies from governments.

• The ease with which a fertilizer policy is administered is important, both for efficiency and to protect farmer’s in-terests. The growth of the fertilizer sector has been constrained in certain countries by highly intrusive subsidy policies, such as the requirement to seek government approval to add

fertilizer capacities and for project costs; allowing only specific fertilizer grades to be produced; allocation and pricing of feedstocks; particu-lar methods of recognizing costs for quantification of subsidies: curtail-ment of subsidy budgets by reducing industry margins; and fertilizer supply and distribution controls, restrictions on fertilizer import/exports, etc.

• Direct subsidies to farmers is a better concept. These subsidies can make it possible to move towards targeted subsidization. Fertilizer subsidies are also routed through retailers in some countries.

• The fertilizer industry in developing countries needs to earn a reasonable profit. Revamping old/ageing plants requires constant investment to maintain production levels efficient-ly. Much-needed fresh investment to ramp up production capacity can be attracted, provided a reasonable re-turn on investment is ensured. Subsi-dy policies should provide for rational

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and realistic recognition of input and conversion costs while quantifying fertilizer subsidies or fixing farmers’ retail prices.

• Large fertilizer producers want sub-sidies to be removed or to be paid directly to eligible farmers, instead of being routed through manufacturers.

• Ultimately, the fertilizer sector needs to be decontrolled and farmers should move gradually towards market-driv-en prices. Of course, the affordability of farm gate prices for the farmer can-not be ignored.

• Government funding is needed to improve infrastructure and logistics in order to reduce costs. Such fund-ing can help keep fertilizer prices at more affordable levels (e.g. through port infrastructure to avoid vessel de-lays/demurrage, facilities to handle Panamax vessels so as to reduce ocean transport costs, and rail links).

Other considerations• Differential pricing of fertilizers

based on crops (food vs. cash crops) was tried and given up due to leakage from low- to high-value crops (Philip-pines).

• Organic manure is unlikely to be sub-stituted for chemical fertilizers in the near future. However, it will increas-ingly continue to supplement chemi-cal fertilizers. A sustainable subsidies policy is essential to foster growth so as to meet growing fertilizer demand.

The way forward• IFA may wish to undertake an in-

depth study of selected key countries in order to capture and analyze their experiences with fertilizer (and food) subsidies in the past two decades. How have subsidy policies impacted nutrient management? What have the impacts of such subsidies been on government budgets, farmers, and growth of the industry?

• Analyses of different policies may en-able IFA to suggest certain formula-tions for policy reforms, in the context of optimizing the benefits of subsi-dies.

Rakesh Kapur is IFA Vice-President for South Asia and Jt. Managing Director, Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative Ltd, New Delhi, India.

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In the United States, the tragic explo-sion at a fertilizer retailer in West,

Texas has brought issues related to am-monium nitrate fertilizer regulation and emergency response into the spotlight. Ammonium nitrate is a strong oxidizing agent. It can cause combustible materi-als such as wood, paper and oil to ignite, and it can explode under extreme pres-sure in confined spaces.US Fertilizer retailers are regulated by state and federal agencies to ensure that ammonium nitrate is produced, handled, stored and transported safely and securely. Federal agencies and regu-lations include:• Department of Transportation (DOT)

– Regulations pertaining to ammo-nium nitrate in transport are carried out by the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration;

• United States Coast Guard – Regulates waterfront facilities handling ammo-nium nitrate through the Maritime Transportation Security Act;

• Department of Homeland Security (DHS) – Regulates ammonium nitrate fertilizer as a chemical of interest un-der the Chemical Facility Anti-terror-ism Standards;

• Occupational Safety and Health Ad-ministration (OSHA) – Storage regula-tions for ammonium nitrate require emergency response plans, emergen-cy response training, and compliance with the OSHA Hazard Communica-tion Standard;

• Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) – Requires facilities storing am-monium nitrate to submit Material Safety Data Sheets to state and local emergency response agencies.

The following firefighting guidelines and procedures have been outlined by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). They are to be followed by fer-tilizer retailers and emergency respond-ers if fire breaks out in an area where ammonium nitrate is stored:• When fire breaks out – If possible, keep the ammonium

nitrate mass cool by applying large volumes of water and contact emer-gency responders. If the fire cannot be drowned out, cease applying wa-ter, evacuate the area, retreat to a safe location, and wait for emergency responders to arrive.

• Provide ample ventilation to the fire area

– Rapid dissipation of both the prod-ucts of decomposition and the heat of reaction is vital.

• Approach fire from upwind – Vapours from burning ammonium

nitrate are very toxic; self-contained breathing apparatus of types ap-proved by the United States Bureau of Mines should be used to protect personnel against gases.

• Steps to be taken after fire is extin-guished

– Loose, contaminated and unsal-vageable ammonium nitrate should be buried or dumped in water where permissible;

– Residue that cannot be removed by sweeping should be washed away with a hose;

– Remove wet, empty bags, let dry, and burn outdoors.

ContactKathy MathersThe Fertilizer Institute, TFIWashington, DCkmathers@tfi.orgwww.tfi.org

Ammonium nitrate safety and regulation in the USAby Kathy Mathers

IFA newsBRIDGING THOUGHTS Joint Communications / Agriculture / Innovation & Research Meeting28 - 30 January 2014, Paris, France

IFA convened this joint meeting as a fur-ther step to strengthen the collaboration between communicators, agronomists and innovators. There was considerable synergy between the more technical and agronomically focused work programme of the Agriculture Committee and the communications and policy advocacy ex-pertise of the Communicators Network, in particular when it came to the priority area of nutrient management. http://ifa-comag2014.org

IFA launched its new pinterest ac-count to strengthen its presence in social media. www.pinterest.com/fertiliser/

Global fertilizer trade map 2014The updated 2014 fertilizer map pro-duced by ICIS and IFA is now available.The maps shows:• 2011/12 fertilizer

trade flows above the threshold of 300,000 product tonnes

• World major pro-ducing countries of fertilizers and raw materials 2012

• Fertilizer consumption from the main consuming countries: 2012/11 to 2017/18

• Historical trends in prices for ammonia, DAP, potash (MOP), urea, sulphur, sul-phuric acid and gas.

View an interactive map at: www.icis.com/pages/custom-publishing/global-fertilizer-trade-map/IFA members can also order a copy at publications@fertilizer.org and non-members contact www.icis.com/fertiliz-ers/

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The Ethiopia Soil Information System (EthioSIS) is an initiative led by the

Ethiopian Ministry of Agriculture and the Ethiopian Agricultural Transforma-tion Agency (ATA). Important data gaps are being filled through the rapid de-velopment of this countrywide system.In 2010, the government of Ethiopia released a National Growth and Trans-formation Plan to provide a strategic framework for developing its agricul-tural sector. The overall target of this plan is annual agricultural growth of at least 8.1 percent, with an increase of Ethiopian Birr 2200 (~US$ 115) in the value of marketed agricultural projects per smallholder household in 153 Wore-das (districts). Other key targets include more than doubling production of ce-real crops (from 18.1 to 39.5 million met-ric tonnes) and tripling the number of farmers receiving relevant agricultural extension services.Such efforts in many countries – and re-lated decisions about land management – are typically not supported by system-atic natural resource information. For example, fertilizer recommendations are often not adjusted to local environ-mental and economic conditions, result-ing in “blanket recommendations” for an entire country. In Ethiopia, as part of the EthioSIS ini-

tiative, soil scientists and global infor-mation system (GIS) specialists at the Ministry of Agriculture and the ATA are working with researchers from the Earth Institute of Columbia University (New York) to develop a first round of digital soil fertility maps which are among the most detailed such maps available any-where in the world. The maps (technically, “spatial predic-tions”) are derived from satellite imag-ery and laboratory analyses of thousands of new georeferenced soil samples. They show predicted amounts of essential soil nutrients needed for plant growth and productivity, as well as associated uncer-tainty in areas where ground samples are unavailable. Information about the relative avail-ability of essential macro and micro soil nutrients was brought together to iden-tify eight "Soil Nutrient Management Areas" (SNMA's) (Figure 1). The SNMA's were defined based on distinctive, ar-chetypal compositions of essential soil nutrients: N, P, K, S, Ca, Mg, Fe, Mn, B, Cu and Zn (Figure 2). The information in these maps is ex-pected to contribute to appropriate ef-forts to restore and improve soil fertility, evaluate needed fertilizer amounts, and adjust fertilizer blends to help meet the government's agricultural sector devel-

opment and poverty reduction targets. By basing efforts to improve soil fertility on systematic ground measurements and mapped evidence, the Ministry of Agri-culture can efficiently identify, target and test for key prob-lems that are being overlooked. For example, previously unde-scribed sulphur and micronutri-ent deficiencies (which appear to be prevalent throughout the country) can be targeted and tested with management re-sponse trials. The new countrywide soil sam-ple, together with new labo-ratory and spatial predictions, will provide Ethiopians with an overview of where various soil

nutrient deficiencies and imbalances for crop production are likely to occur throughout the country, as well as in specific Woredas.The data and computer code for gen-erating the maps will be made freely and publicly available in the near future at www.africasoils.net, pending IP and content licensing agreements with the Ethiopian government.

ContactMark WalshAFSIS project leadermarkusgwalsh@gmail.com

Sources: Ethiopian Ministry of Agriculture

and ATA, EthioSIS, Africa Soil Information

Service (AfSIS) (www.africasoils.net), and the

Center for International Earth Science Infor-

mation Network (CIESIN) (www.ciesin.org).

EthioSIS is supported by the AFSIS, a project

led by the Columbia Global Center (CGC) in

Nairobi, Kenya (http://globalcenters.colum-

bia.edu/nairobi).

The Ethiopia Soil Information Systemby Mark Walsh

Figure 1. Soil Nutrient Management Areas (SNMA’s) of EthiopiaEach colour represents a distinct soil nutrient manage-ment area, based on analysis of current remote sensing imagery and thousands of new ground samples collected throughout Ethiopia. These areas contain different pro-portions and amounts of essential soil nutrients needed for plant growth.

Figure 2. Current topsoil nutrient predictions for EthiopiaExamples of predicted concentration patterns of essential topsoil nutrients for plant growth and productivity. Red areas indicate nutrient deficiencies. Green areas indicate adequate nutrient amounts. White areas have no veg-etation cover and are not predicted.

IFA events

More information on upcoming events: www.fertilizer.org/ifa/Home-Page/EVENT

*Restricted to IFA member companies

February 2014 11

PIT Production and Interna-tional Trade Conference*28 – 30 September 2014Beijing, China PRThis event offers an excellent

opportunity to interact with senior executives from major international fertilizer producers and trading companies. A special emphasis will be placed on supply-related issues. This conference is designed by the IFA Production and Interna-tional Trade Committee for all IFA members.

IFA Global Technical Symposium*1 – 3 April 2014 Amsterdam, NetherlandsTechnology leaders from around

the world will meet to discuss the topic of innovation in fertilizers. Best practices will be shared on new production processes, more efficient utilization, etc. Side events will in-clude an open meeting of IFA’s Working Group on NORM in phosphogypsum.

IFA Crossroads Asia-Pacific 201428 – 30 October 2014SingaporeFocusing on the pivotal Asian region and Pacific basin, IFA

Crossroads Asia-Pacific attracts some 300 participants in at-tendance. This event is organized under the guidance of the Regional Vice Presidents for all IFA members with an inter-est in Asia and the Pacific as well as newcomers acquainting themselves with the Association in view of potential mem-bership.

IFA Annual Conference*

26 – 28 May 2014Sydney, AustraliaIFA’s main event attracts on aver-age 1400 participants represent-ing 400 member companies from 75 countries. It has become a major meeting platform for the

global fertilizer industry and is on the agenda of its chief ex-ecutives and senior management representatives.

2014 is the International Year of Fam-ily Farming (IYFF). There are over 500 million family farms in the world which range from smallholders and medium scale farmers to peasants, indigenous peoples, traditional communities, fish-erfolk, pastoralists....Over 70 percent of the food insecure population lives in rural areas of Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Near East. Many of them are family farmers, espe-cially smallholders, with poor access to natural resources, policies and technolo-gies.The objective of the IYFF is to focus on the role of family farming in eradicat-ing hunger and poverty; providing food security and nutrition; improving liveli-

hoods; managing natural resources; pro-tecting the environment; and achieving sustainable development, particularly in rural areas. The goal of the campain is to re-position family farming at the centre of agricul-tural, environmental and social poli-cies in national agendas by identifying gaps and opportunities to promote a shift towards more equal and balanced development. IYFF will promote broad discussion and cooperation at the na-tional, regional and global levels to increase awareness and understanding of the challenges faced by smallholders and help identify efficient ways to sup-port family farmers. More information: www.fao.org/family-farming-2014/en/

Year of Agriculture and Food SecurityWhereas progress has been made over the past ten years in many African countries, investments in the agricul-ture sector have been insufficient and African agriculture plans remain only partly funded. The African Union (AU) declared 2014 the Year of Agriculture and Food Security in order to encour-age governments and donors to devel-op new policies, reinvest in agriculture, finance the development of rural infra-structures, improve markets access and support research and new technolo-gies. The objective of the AU is also to highlight strategy implementation and measure progress made at national and regional level. Increasing agricultural productivity leads to economic growth, increases food and nutrition security and reduces rural poverty. More information at www.au.int/en/See also: www.nepad.org/foodsecurity

12 fertilizers & agriculture

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International Fertilizer Industry Association28, rue Marbeuf, 75008 Paris, FranceTel: +33 1 53 93 05 00 Fax: +33 1 53 93 05 45/47ifa@fertilizer.org 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/ifa/HomePage/LIBRARY/Our-selection2/Fertilizers-Agriculture

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

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

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 2014

12 fertilizers & agriculture

IFA PUBLICATIONS ReprintsFertilizing Crops to Improve Human Health: A Scientific ReviewT.W. Bruulsema, P. Heffer, M.R. Welch, I. Cakmak, K. Moran. IPNI, IFA, 290 pp.

Slow- and Controlled Release and Stabilized Fertilizers: An Option for Enhancing Nutrient Use Efficiency in AgricultureM.E. Trenkel. IFA, 2nd edition, Paris, France, October 2010. 160 pp.

Fertigation. A Tool for Efficient Fertilizer and Water ManagementU. Kafkafi, J. Tarchitzky. IFA, 1st edition, Paris, France, April 2011. 140 pp.

To order copies, contact: publications@fertilizer.org or consult:www.fertilizer.org/ifa/HomePage/LIBRARY/Our-selection2/Fertilizer-use.html

Market outlook reportsThe Production and International Trade and the Agri-culture Services of IFA released their respective short-term market outlook reports in December, in addition to their joint summary report. The market outlooks were presented on 5 December at the IFA Enlarged Council meeting in Paris.The key findings pointed to a recovery in fertilizer de-mand in 2014/15, following a pause in 2012/13. Total fertilizer demand is forecast to rise in all the regions but North America and Western and Central Europe. Fer-tilizer consumption would rebound in South Asia and Oceania, and expand in all the other regions. In terms of supply, the international market was adequately supplied in 2013, with supply covered from production tonnage and important stock carry-overs in a few large consuming countries. However, fertilizer supply was impacted by a shortfall in the supply of natural gas and by trade measures. Global sales in 2014 would show a worldwide recovery in fertilizer demand and imports, with a 2.3 percent expansion over 2013. The summary report is available to the public whereas the detailed reports are re-stricted to IFA members. All reports are available at www.fertilizer.org/ifa/HomeP-age/FERTILIZERS-THE-INDUSTRY/Market-outlooks.html