Argus Sustainable Fertilizer Americas

• How are food and beverage companies working to support sustainable initiatives in fertilizer and agricultural businesses?
• Research shows customers are willing to buy the sustainable option even if it costs more – but with inflation and the cost of living on the rise, are we seeing this in reality?
• What are the main challenges in translating the need for sustainable practices by growers to the end customer?

Speakers include:

• Jeremy Buchman, Senior Agronomy Manager, McCain Foods
• Senior Sustainability Representative, Kellogg's Company

• Understand the terminology and discussions around sustainable fertilizers in different regions.
• Breakdown the meanings of buzzwords such as enhanced-efficiency, specialty, novel, low-carbon fertilizers and more.
• Learn about the fundamental ‘4R’ concept and how this can aid in the sustainable and efficient use of fertilizers.

• What are the key ways in which the fertilizer industry is impacted by ESG?
• ESG ratings are becoming increasingly important both to consumers and investors – how can ESG scores and rating agencies help drive the sustainable fertilizer markets forward?
• How are ESG ratings calculated and classified, and should these be standardised across the industry? Who will monitor this?

• Hear from MicroBios as a case study of a company focused on biological solutions to sustainable fertilizer management practices.
• How can microbiome-based additives help reduce the amount of NPK required whilst increasing crop yields, and how beneficial is this to creating a sustainable fertilizer market?
• What research has been undertaken into the economic and environmental benefits of reducing the use of mineral fertilizer?

Speaker:

• Dr Walter Sandoval, Chief Science Officer, MicroBios S.A.

Brazil is currently the 8th largest importer of fertilizers with low domestic production capacity. In March 2022, Brazil’s government announced its National Fertilizer Plan to reduce its dependency on imports from 85% of its demand to 45% by 2050. They estimate in the year 22/23 alone they will be able to reduce reliance by 20-30%.

• What are the viable alternatives to large scale imports on N, P, and K?
• How successful have the initiatives been so far – is Brazil on course for a 20-30% reduction this year?
• What makes Brazil so suitable to the use of specialty fertilizers? 

Speakers include:

• Matt Simpson, CEO, Brazil Potash

The US is taking a slightly different approach to ensuring their self-sufficiency. Boasting a robust domestic production capacity, the US is relying on boosting production of American-made fertilizers that are sustainable and innovative amongst other qualities.

• How is the US scaling up domestic production and where are there alternative import sources?
• Can the US emulate the success of Brazilian specialty fertilizer adoption? What factors need to be considered – crops, supply, pricing, land availability and more.
• How successful has US policy – such as the $500m investment in American-made fertilizer announced by the USDA in 2022 – been at creating interest in sustainable fertilizer?

• There can be confusion over some sustainability claims and the performance of sustainable fertilizers – how can government-funded research help to dispel these and promote the industry?
• What research is currently being undertaken by regulatory and government bodies such as the USDA and EPA into sustainable fertilizers?
• How can government research and investment help drive the shift toward sustainable fertilizers and improve the relationship between agricultural research and fertilizer production?

• Learn about how effective public funding can be in scaling up a sustainable fertilizer business.
• What are the results from the initial lab testing of these sustainable fertilizers?
• What is the next stage of planning for land tests and how could this affect the US fertilizer market?

Speakers:

• Landon Bunderson, Chief Science Officer, Aqua-Yield
• Dr Kuide Qin, Chief Science Officer, Verdesian Life Sciences
• Dr Catherine Roue, Innovation & Sustainability Director North America, Fertinagro Biotech International

• What different types of public and private investment are available across the production and supply chain?
• What qualities make fertilizer producers and grower’s bankable to private investors and public funding?
• Where is the money to finance sustainable fertilizers coming from? Understand government grants, research competitions, institutional investments and more.

Speakers:

• Gregory Bernardi, President, London Forfaiting (Americas)

• TBA

• Nutrient recycling involves recovering lost nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus from waste and converting them into fertilizers again.
• How does nutrient recovery help increase plant yields whilst helping to combat run-off and non-point source pollution?
• How can nutrient recycling programmes contribute to a circular economy?

• What are the recent demand trends in the global consumption of controlled release (CRF), stabilized nitrogen (SNF), and water-soluble (WSF) fertilizers?
• What are the key driving factors in the demand for SNF and WSFs given recent volatility in the fertilizer market?
• What is the potential impact on the demand for special products and new technologies amid growing global pressures?

• Decarbonising nitrogen fertilizer is a big challenge for the industry – largely owing to the CO2 needed to produce urea that is then released on application.
• What solutions are available to the fertilizer market? Learn about using nitrogen inhibitors, switching to nitrates, potential for ammonia and more.
• What is the scalability and feasibility of these options? Is it possible, and affordable, to decarbonise nitrogen fertilizers?

Speakers:

• Hunter Swisher, CEO & Founder, Phospholutions Inc
• Cleiton de Sequeira, Director of Business Development, Nitricity

• What are the driving forces behind technological innovations in the fertilizer markets? What challenges are yet to be overcome?
• Precision agriculture, soil mapping, and the rising interest in digitalisation across the industry.
• How can digitalisation and technology make sustainable fertilizer management easier?

• Liebig’s law of minimum and the key fertilizer macronutrients 
• The need for fertilizers to meet global food demand: balanced fertilization and 4R concepts
• Global production trends

• Phosphate production routes   
• Supply and demand dynamics  
• Price drivers  
• Current market themes  

• Ammonia production – the key nitrogen building block  
• Production of other nitrogen fertilizers  
• Global nitrogen supply patterns  
• Price drivers 
• Current market themes   

• Overview of the different types of potash  
• Supply and demand dynamics  
• Current market themes  

• Defining NPKs  
• Pros and cons of NPKs  
• Difficulties of measuring supply and demand  
• Global NPK trade – key markets  
• Price drivers and current market themes 

• Defining product categories for AVF  
• Evaluating markets and drivers for AVF  
• Industry opportunities for AVF