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Cultivating sustainable agriculture: low-carbon nitrogen fertilisers

The collaboration will seek to reduce GHG emissions by producing and distributing low-carbon nitrogen fertiliser. (Image source: Adobe Stock)

CF Industries, one of the world’s largest producers of nitrogen fertiliser, is working with CHS Inc., the nation’s leading agribusiness cooperative, to accelerate quantifiable and certifiable agriculture and food system greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reductions through the production and distribution of low-carbon nitrogen fertiliser

This initiative was developed as part of the US-UAE’s Agriculture Innovation Mission for Climate (AIM for Climate) programme that seeks to catalyse global innovation in climate-smart agriculture.

To address the GHG footprint of food production, both companies will leverage CF Industries’ investments to produce ammonia, which is the building block of nitrogen-based fertiliser products, with lower Scope 1 carbon dioxide emissions. They will also leverage CHS’ extensive distribution network to place low- and zero-carbon fertilisers with growers. The companies expect to work together to promote the use of low-GHG nitrogen fertiliser to help farmers and crop end users, such as consumer product goods companies and ethanol producers, reduce the overall carbon footprint of agriculture.

“Decarbonised fertiliser is the future of how we sustainably supply and produce the goods that humanity needs,” said Bert Frost, senior vice president, sales, supply chain and market development, CF Industries. “The advantage of using decarbonised fertiliser is that we can measure the reduction in greenhouse gas emissions associated with its production and transfer that attribute to the farmer who can then provide crops to their customers that have a quantifiably lower GHG footprint. This will enable us to develop a certifiable decarbonised agricultural value chain.”

“We recognise the importance of helping growers optimise resources as they produce food the world needs,” said Brian Schouvieller, senior vice president commercial trade and risk management at CHS. “Nitrogen fertiliser is critical to plant growth; zero or low-carbon fertilizsr can be an important tool as we pursue solutions that help growers simultaneously achieve their crop production and sustainability goals.