TFI, Nutrients for Life become Smithsonian sponsor

Washington-The Fertilizer Institute has announced a $1 million commitment in the name of the Nutrients for Life Foundation to the Smithsonian Institution for an exhibition about soils at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C. Through this donation, TFI and Nutrients for Life will be the designated lead sponsors of this exhibit, scheduled to open in July of 2008, at the Natural History Museum, the most visited natural history museum in the world. The 5,000 square foot soils exhibit is being developed by the Smithsonian in partnership with the Soil Science Society of America (SSSA), and is designed to increase the level of public awareness about the important role of soils in our world by educating visitors about the many ways soil is essential to human life. “Fertilizer is an integral component in aiding soils’ role in environmental health and food security,” said TFI and Nutrients for Life President Ford West. “Through our sponsorship of the exhibit, we hope the museum’s over 6 million visitors annually will gain a greater appreciation of the role modern agriculture plays in sustaining healthy soils.” The soils exhibit, which will occupy one hall of the museum, will be on display in Washington, D.C., until January 2010, after which it may go on a three-to-four year National Tour through the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES). The exhibit will also include a display of soil monoliths from 50 states, the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. Other exhibit partners include SSSA, the U.S. Department of Interior’s Bureau of Land Management, and several U.S. Department of Agriculture agencies, including the Natural Resources Conservation Service. “Given Nutrients for Life’s work to better educate the public and policymakers about the tremendous role fertilizers play in improving peoples’ lives, the Smithsonian exhibit provides an ideal opportunity to promote science-based messages about agriculture to millions of museum visitors each year,” said West.