The state of the industry might be on the minds of many of the delegates who attended the 65th annual conference of the Canadian Fertilizer Institute (CFI), this year held in Quebec City, but sustainability became the buzzword heard on the podium and in the halls. From his statement to open the conference to comments following the sessions, CFI Chairman Hugh Loomans stressed the importance of sustainability as more than just an environmental issue, but also a social one.
“We have to be aware of how our decisions as an industry affect the public, the environment, and farmers,” Loomans told the crowd of some 140 people. “Consumers are looking for answers on how food is produced, how far it has traveled, and animal welfare. The fertilizer industry has to be concerned about handling and storage of products and safety issues. We need to look for a balance of social, economic, and environmental goals.”
To assess how the fertilizer industry can fit into the movement to create a sustainable environment, CFI offered a sustainability workshop, with panelists from Synthesis Agri-Food Consulting, Ducks Unlimited, and the Canadian Federation of Agriculture. The aim of the panel was to increase awareness of the issue and build on the work done by CFI’s environment committee on sustainability. Many mentions of the 4R (Right Source at Right Rate, Right Time, Right Place) nutrient stewardship practices were made throughout the conference.
During the Tuesday panel discussion, Rob Hannam of Synthesis Agri-Food Consulting reported his observations on how some of the largest food-related companies in the world have taken on sustainability as a corporate initiative, from developing strategies in-house to looking outwards to their suppliers. He noted that Walmart, McDonald’s, Heinz, McCain, and Pepsico have all developed plans to increase sustainability, which is often equated with “green” products and practices that can be marketed to the public. He suggested the fertilizer industry should communicate more fully the value of its products and how they fit into the sustainability framework.
Garnet Estell of the Canadian Federation of Agriculture suggested there is a lack of vision for agriculture in Canada, both domestically and internationally. He said that a national food strategy is important because the growing world population makes keeping agriculture sustainable more challenging. Estell added that a strategy to maintain balance is an important aspect of any sustainability program when the world population is expected to double by 2050, and that an increase in people worldwide means a corresponding increase in the demand for food.
While much work is being done in many industries regarding sustainability, a national strategy for Canada is still being planned, with a final document expected by October 2011. As with most initiatives that require consensus, the process is long and arduous. However, CFI’s commitment to developing a sustainability strategy is ongoing and is expected to include a means to measure progress. One of the goals of the environment committee is to determine how member performance will be gauged.
Sustainability was by no means the only issue on the agenda, as the meeting’s first set of speakers considered the state of the industry and the global financial outlook. Of chief concern was the increasing demand for fertilizer products by China and India and how this will impact prices and supply. As well, world grain and oilseed requirements are predicted to increase, which will cause global grain prices to move upwards. Overall, the outlook for the industry is positive, and the mood at the conference was upbeat and confident.
“The fertilizer and agricultural economies are positive,” added Loomans. “Farmers are going to make money and will want to buy fertilizer before the end of the year. Usage will bounce back to 2006 levels as we will likely see an increase in wheat planting.” Supply could become an issue, he says, but that prospect did not dampen the spirits of delegates as the spectre of the unusual events of 2009 begins to fade.
Overall, CFI said attendance was up for this year’s annual meeting, with some 210 at the conference banquet.