Washington-The Fertilizer Institute last week sent a letter to the editor of the St. Louis Post Dispatch disputing an article entitled “More ethanol means more corn – and more water pollution.” TFI said the article misrepresents fertilizers role in food, fiber, feed and fuel production. “While the increase in corn demand for ethanol production is indisputable, the negative consequences of that change are not,” said TFI. “Commercial fertilizers are the most manageable source of nutrients and as such, are the best tool farmers have to maximize crop production while minimizing environmental impact.” TFI noted that USDA data shows that U.S. farmers are using fertilizer nutrients with the greatest efficiency in history. It said between 1980-2005, U.S. corn production increased 74 percent. Meanwhile, farmers’ use of nitrogen on corn over this period increased only 3 percent, while use of phosphates and potash fell 20 and 24 percent, respectively. TFI noted that the fertilizer industry has partnered with farmers and some 13,000 Certified Crop Advisors to ensure the maximum crop productivity while protecting water quality, soil quality, and the environment. “What’s more,” said TFI, “we have repeatedly sought U.S.D.A. backing for the use of advanced fertilizer technologies in conversation programs and to date, have received little support.”
Transparency Across the Fertilizer Value-Chain