Sustainability through innovation - New AG International e-book series
Earlier this month, it was the UN’s World Water day. In a statement on 22 March, the Secretary-General António Guterres said: “The value ...
<b>Sustainability through innovation
New AG International e-book series
Sponsored by:
<a href="https://www.idainature.com/">Idai Nature</a> <a href="https://tradecorp-belgium.be/">Tradecorp</a> <a href="https://www.vaniperen.com/?noredirect=en_US">Van Iperen</a> <a
Welcome to
the New AG International e-book on Sustainability through Innovation.
Earlier this month, it was the UN’s World Water day. In a statement on 22 March, the Secretary-General António Guterres said: “The value of water is profound and complex. There is no aspect of sustainable development that does not fundamentally rely upon it.”
This quote resonates with our featured article by Jeremy Stroud, who explores some of the emerging water challenges affecting the global agri-food sector, placing a spotlight on regions and technologies that could mitigate these issues most effectively.
As Jeremy notes: “Society’s capacity to develop beyond a primitive state is at least partially caused by advancements in water management and technology.”
He makes the point that freshwater depletion is an agricultural issue just as much as it is an environmental one. “Farmers, processors, and other stakeholders throughout the value chain have a distinct opportunity to invest towards efficient irrigation and try new technologies in regions that have the replenishing capacity to withdraw water resources sustainably.”
Another aspect of sustainability is on the input side. Holly Meadows-Smith and Damian Curtis give an overview of biologics, introducing the potential of CRISPR, conveying that biologicals have great potential to improve crop survival, growth, and yield while limiting negative impacts on the environment.
Much gratitude is also extended to our sponsors of this e-book. These companies highlight their different technologies, products and projects employed in the pursuit of more sustainable agricultural practices. We hear from each of them Idai Nature, Tradecorp, and Van Iperen.
From the team here at New AG International, we hope you enjoy this e-book. We will be following up on many of the themes presented here at our Sustainability Digital Week in May. Sign-up is free. Go to our WEBSITE to register.
And please take our poll – only takes a few seconds. See on next page...
And please take our poll – only takes a few seconds. We’re keen to get your thoughts on this subject.
What technologies or sectors do you think will offer the greatest advances in more sustainable agricultural practices in the next
5 years? (you can make more than one choice)
- Specialty fertilizer (WSFs and SCRSFs)
- Biostimulants
- Biocontrol
- Biofertilizer
- Irrigation
- Fertigation
- Gene editing
- Precision Agriculture (including digital/data)
Luke Hutson
Editor-in-Chief
<b>Water Challenges and Sustainable Management in Global Agriculture
<b>Jeremy Stroud reports
Civilization may not have progressed to nearly this extent without the dependability of our Earth’s managed water resources, particularly as it pertains to agriculture.i Society’s capacity to develop beyond a primitive state is at least partially caused by advancements in water management and technology.ii From employing gravity systems for flood irrigation, to controlling water flow with aqueducts, to the implementation of digitally integrated water treatment and provision, water innovation has long been a unacknowledged champion of our species’ welfare. Societal reliance on freshwater is taken for granted to such an extent that many of us overlook the growing cascade of constraints set to alter the way we use the scarce resource. In this piece I explore some of the emerging water challenges affecting the global agri-food sector, placing a spotlight on regions and technologies that could mitigate these issues most effectively.
Freshwater stock
Less than three percent of the earth’s total water stock is freshwater, nearly four-fifths of which are permanently frozen and inaccessible.iii After factoring in areas of excessive pollution, acidity and salinization we are left with less than one-tenth of a percent of fresh water supply available for human, agriculture and industry use.iv In other words, this equates to about 10,000,000 cubic km of fresh, accessible ground and surface water.v While freshwater is limited in volume, humans are continuing to increase consumption per capita on an annual basis vi and, in some geographies, at a pace that far exceeds the rate of replenishment.vii The vast majority of this increased water usage is attributed to agri-food systems, with many regions consuming more than 85% of available freshwater.viii Here lies the bone of contention - it is not a question of whether we are using scarce water resources at an unsustainable pace, but rather a discussion of what can be done about it.
Blue Water: Challenges in Consumption
When evaluating freshwater availability, it is essential to consider the components of the water system within and beyond human control. The thought of addressing all water challenges may be too broad a topic, so the conversation becomes more actionable when focus is placed on components that can be changed.
Of freshwater stores, blue water is the most
pertinent topic to international agriculture as farmers have minimal control over deviation in rainwater occurrence and quantity. Water scientists place particular emphasis on
blue water within the context of changes
in climate – namely as it relates to overconsumption and therefore increases in the frequency and severity of global drought.ix
Water use for irrigation is among the most heavily contested aspects of the modern agricultural system. Agriculture and blue water depletion are inextricably linked. According to a recent report from IPBES (Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services), nearly 40 percent of the planet’s current food supply is reliant on irrigation. xi This issue becomes further pronounced when we consider that nearly half of the world’s population is living within close proximity to catchment basins and aquifers with the ‘severe water stress’ classification.xii Misallocation of accessible freshwater resources could cause a contraction in global productivity growth and consequently a serious decline in living standards.xiii Historically, humans have drawn freshwater from where water is abundant and channeled it to arid regions for direct consumption, industry, and irrigation.xiv
These arid regions, characterized by low precipitation, tend to produce the majority
of the world’s fruit, vegetable, and nut crops.
The dry climate lends itself to a reduced
risk of disease, flood issues, and other circumstances that can lead to crop failure.xv
Most of our planet’s accessible fresh water is confined in shallow aquifers beneath the earth’s surface.xvi A growing proportion of these non-renewable groundwater sources are reaching critical points of depletion, and they are commonly located in areas which lie beneath the world’s most populous and important agricultural regions. A study from Elliott et al. estimates that up to 100 million irrigated acres may be unable to draw sufficient water resources to support production by the end of the century.xvii This could lead to decreases in aggregate crop yields if rainfall cannot compensate for the difference. The Ogallala aquifer beneath the US corn belt, for example, is particularly threatened by overuse and pollutant
contamination. A reversal of irrigated to unirrigated land (dryland) is expected to occur in regions such as California’s central valleys, the Colorado River Basin, the North-China Plain, and the Arabian Basin.xviii Non-renewable groundwater or finite surface waters are primary sources of irrigation in all of these basins. Each have been subject to significant water scarcity issues in the past decade.
Additional challenges arise when considering that the largest water users have historically benefited the most from withdrawing from aquifers. Historical users have a vested interest in retaining the right to use that water until the stores are nearly depleted. This leads to further complications as many households are also dependent on groundwater supplies, leading to contention in the pursuit of equitable resource allocation.xix Blue water depletion is a complex issue that demands collective action – not solvable by implementing any single policy, action, or framework. Rather it requires a cooperation between all levels of business, government, and society. Irrigated farms which use progressive technology to draw their water from continually measured, renewable deposits (such as adequately endowed lakes and rivers) may be a productive, economical, and sustainable solution to the forthcoming water scarcity challenges.
Stakeholder Complexity in
Agricultural Water Challenges
Food-induced water depletion is more than just a result of farm activity. The reality is complex and integrates all facets of the value chain and its interaction with society. Farms, like any other business, are economic entities that aim to optimize output, scale, and profitability. In the agri-food sector this is accomplished by efficiently fulfilling the needs of consumers. With a growing population and an increasing appetite for high-quality proteins, fruits and vegetables, consumers tend not to realize the impacts of their individual purchasing decisions but rather focus on the needs of the household or community.
As it stands, we have a consumer base in the northern hemisphere that is largely unaware of the extent and scarcity from which water is
consumed through food products. The agri-food system effectively outsources water depletion through its demand for high water-footprint foodsxx. An often-cited example is China’s import of water-intensive soybeans from countries such as Brazil which has led to indirect pressure on deforestation of the Amazon xxi. Consumers have historically purchased food and industrial products with the cost of water extraction embedded in the price, but not the true cost of water depletion. This distinction is vital to the topic of global water management, where governments often subsidize water infrastructure, pumping, irrigation, and industrial water use to support farmers and businesses xxii. This has the unintended consequence of promoting the over-use of water and disincentivizing investments in efficiency and innovation.
While the consumption trajectory for high water-footprint foods is continuing to grow, shoppers are beginning to realize the increased demands on water a result of their decisions. As regional water scarcity issues take place more frequently, consumers may begin to search for more sustainable and renewable ways to use the available water supply. Similarly, policymakers are increasingly looking for ways to define the total economic value of water and price it in such a way that scarcity may be accounted for and mitigated xxii. It is here where a long-term trend and opportunity for improving sustainable water-use may lie.
How Water Use for Agriculture can be Sustainable and Viable
The pursuit of a sustainable and commercially viable agricultural system has emerged as a goal for farmers, policymakers, processors, and
retailers. Some experts believe it can be achieved through adapting to macro-climatic conditions, incorporating nature-based solutions to sustainable landscapes, and preserving finite and vital dimensions of the food system such as soil, pollinators, and water xxiv. In executing on this latter goal, investments in agricultural technology and infrastructure, including efficient irrigation, wastewater reuse, soil moisture sensing, and seed resilience innovation may pave the way for more resilient food systems.
A structural decline in crop production could create supply shocks in the future, potentially raising agricultural commodity prices in the long term xxv. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) estimates that crop yields could decline by up to 12 percent as a direct consequence of water scarcity in the next three decades xxvi. The notion of water-rich regions is predicated on a catchment basin’s capacity to weather a storm of potential water scarcity issues. Certain countries, where irrigation is less necessary for productive agriculture, are at a lower risk of agricultural water scarcity complications. For example, less than four percent of Canada, Brazil, Russia and Australia’s farmland is irrigated compared to about ten percent in the United States and 37 percent in India xxvii. Productive agricultural regions that are less dependent on irrigation tend to hedge the risk of groundwater depletion and may not face the same extent of agricultural yield declines. Some academics believe that water-intensive crops such as fruits and nuts should, over time, move to regions where rainfall is abundant, and water-stress is low if they can be grown in these regions xxviii.
Farmers, policymakers, and other stakeholders can also analyze metrics to determine where water shortages are expected to fall. Incorporating hydrological models into decision-making can set a foundation for preparation and risk adaptation. Statistics such as aquifer replenishment rates, variable on-farm water requirements, and the legal parameters of regional rights are crucial pieces of intelligence that any farmer and landowner should know. Start-ups such as AQUAOSO, based in the western United States, are offering information to a wider array of stakeholders. Further
distributions of localized intelligence allow for market participants to make better resource allocation decisions that incorporate key factors such as groundwater depletion and water
quality issues.
On the farm level, smart irrigation technology is also burgeoning. A suite of sensors is now available to monitor on-site water quality, soil moisture levels, and plant water consumption. Firms such as Netafim and Tevatronic, both based in Israel, integrate precision irrigation with monitoring tools to stop water flow when plant needs are met xxix. Crop buyers such as Cargill and Tesco have also placed pressure to promote greater farm-level water sustainability, with the former adopting a ‘Soil & Water Outcomes Fund’ to pay farmers in Iowa for improving water quality and carbon sequestration xxx. Drought resistant plant varieties and seeds with lower water requirements are also leading to greater efficiency per calorie produced. Innovations and programs to promote responsible water use have led to some promising outcomes. In Europe, for example, the water consumption per unit of crop production has decreased by 12% between 2005 and 2016, largely due to investments in water efficiency xxxi.
High quality freshwater will be a finite resource with limited supply and consistent demand for as long as life inhabits the planet. Although specific water reserves appear to have promise over the next several decades, it is a responsibility for governments to responsibly regulate withdrawal and contamination. It is incumbent upon stakeholders to recognize and plan for local water quantity and quality issues in the context of a changing climate and society. Freshwater depletion is an agricultural issue just as much as it is an environmental one. Here lies a rare circumstance where economic returns may be matched by environmental impact. Farmers, processors, and other stakeholders throughout the value chain have a distinct opportunity to invest towards efficient irrigation and try new technologies in regions that have the replenishing capacity to withdraw water resources sustainably. ●
Jeremy Stroud
Freshwater Classificationx
Framework retrieved from
Ray, McInnes & Sanderson (2018).
Jeremy Stroud explores some of the emerging water challenges affecting the global agri-food sector, placing a spotlight on regions and technologies that could mitigate these issues
most effectively.
Behind the Hoover Dam, Nevada, Lake Mead
is the largest manmade reservoir in the USA.
There is perhaps no substance more taken for granted by those in the northern hemisphere than freshwater.
Throughout the centuries, humans have drawn freshwater from where water is abundant and channeled it to arid regions for direct consumption, industry, and irrigation. Illustrated here is Les Ferreres Aqueduct, also known as Pont del Diable. It forms part of the Roman aqueduct built to supply water to the ancient city of Tarraco - now Tarragona, Spain.
"The Ogallala aquifer beneath the US corn belt, for example, is particularly threatened by overuse and pollutant contamination.
A study from Elliott et al.
i Barbier, E. (2019). The Water Paradox. 1st Edition. Book. Yale University Press.
ii Mithen Steven. (2010). The domestication of water: water management in the ancient world and its prehistoric origins in the Jordan Valley. Phil. Trans. R. Soc.
iii Ray, McInnes & Sanderson (2018). Virtual Water: its implication on agriculture and trade.
iv OECD (2012). Global Environmental Outlook to 2050.
v Perlman (2016). Global Water Volume.
vi OECD (2012). Global Environmental Outlook to 2050.
vii Ray, McInnes & Sanderson (2018). Virtual Water: its implication on agriculture and trade.
viii D’Odorico et al., (2020). The global value of water in agriculture. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Sep 2020, 117 (36) 21985-21993
ix Stahl, Tallaksen & Hannaford. (2018). Drought: Science and Policy. Recent Trends in Historical Drought.
x Ray, McInnes & Sanderson (2018). Virtual Water: its implication on agriculture and trade.
viii D’Odorico et al., (2020). The global value of water in agriculture. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Sep 2020, 117 (36) 21985-21993
ix Stahl, Tallaksen & Hannaford. (2018). Drought: Science and Policy. Recent Trends in Historical Drought.
x Ray, McInnes & Sanderson (2018). Virtual Water: its implication on agriculture and trade.
xi Diaz et al. (2019). Global Assessment Report on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services from the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services.
xii OECD (2012). Global Environmental Outlook to 2050.
xiii Nechifor & Winning (2018). Global Economic and Food Security Impacts of Demand-Driven Water Scarcity.
xiv Barbier, E. (2019). The Water Paradox. 1st Edition. Book. Yale University Press.
xv Saroj, Ram & Kumar. (2020). Arid Horticultural Crops: Status and Opportunities under Changing Climatic Conditions Indian Journal of Plant Genetic Resources 33(1):17-31.
xvi Blomquist (2020). Beneath the surface: complexities and groundwater policymaking. Oxford Review of Economic Policy.
xvii Elliott et al. (2014). Constraints and potentials of future irrigation water availability on agricultural production under climate change. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
xix Barbier, E. (2019). The Water Paradox. 1st Edition. Book. Yale University Press.
xx Ray, McInnes & Sanderson (2018). Virtual Water: its implication on agriculture and trade.
xxi Gollnow et al. (2018). Property-level direct and indirect deforestation for soybean production in the Amazon region of Mato Grosso, Brazil.
xxii Barbier, E. (2019). The Water Paradox. 1st Edition. Book. Yale University Press.
xxiii Barbier, E. (2019). The Water Paradox. 1st Edition. Book. Yale University Press.
xxiv The Nature Conservancy. (2020). The Little Sustainable Landscapes Book. 1st Edition. Book. Global Canopy Program.
xxv IPCC (2018). Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Global Warming of 1.5 C. Special Report.
xxvi IPCC (2018). Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Global Warming of 1.5 C. Special Report.
xxvii The World Bank Group (2015). Development and Agriculture Indicators.
xxviii Barbier, E. (2019). The Water Paradox. 1st Edition. Book. Yale University Press.
xxix Startup Nation Central. (2021). Irrigation Subsector. Website. https://www.startupnationcentral.org/subsector/irrigation/
xxx Manning, L. (2020). Cargill to pay Iowa farmers for carbon sequestration and water quality with Iowa Soybean Association. AgFunder. News Article.
xxxi European Environment Agency. (2019). Indicator Assessment: Water intensity of crop production in Europe. Eurostat Crop Statistics.
xxiv The Nature Conservancy. (2020). The Little Sustainable Landscapes Book. 1st Edition. Book. Global Canopy Program.
xxv IPCC (2018). Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Global Warming of 1.5 C. Special Report.
xxvi IPCC (2018). Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Global Warming of 1.5 C. Special Report.
xxvii The World Bank Group (2015). Development and Agriculture Indicators.
xxviii Barbier, E. (2019). The Water Paradox. 1st Edition. Book. Yale University Press.
xxix Startup Nation Central. (2021). Irrigation Subsector. Website. https://www.startupnationcentral.org/
subsector/irrigation/
xxx Manning, L. (2020). Cargill to pay Iowa farmers for carbon sequestration and water quality with Iowa Soybean Association. AgFunder. News Article.
xxxi European Environment Agency. (2019). Indicator Assessment: Water intensity of crop production in Europe. Eurostat Crop Statistics.
As it stands, we have a consumer base in the northern hemisphere that is largely unaware of the extent and scarcity from which water is consumed through food products.
Aerial view of land irrigated with water from Ogallala Aquifer near Garden City, Kansas, USA.
About the author:
Jeremy is an impact investment professional focused on the intersections of agri-food, water, and renewable energy. He currently helps investment firms and operational companies to build out their sustainability strategies, while researching and studying as a graduate student at the University of Oxford.
<b>Idai Nature, sustainability
as a business key
By Joel Ferrer & Teresa Yuste, Idai Nature
Idai Nature's solutions help farmers to make their crops more profitable in the most sustainable way possible. This increase in profitability is the result of eliminating chemical residues from vegetables, so that farmers can sell their crops in more demanding markets as regards the presence of residual chemicals in the food we eat.
Currently, in response to consumers' and supermarkets' demands, it has launched a FiBL-certified range (FiBL is the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture) for biodynamic farming. In fact, many of the products that have been part of the catalogue for years have been able to obtain the FiBL certificate, a sign of the company's great commitment to sustainability and the health of the population since its inception.
Fundamental pillar
One of the fundamental pillars of Idai Nature is sustainability. Idai Nature began twelve years ago setting its sights on leaving a better world for the next generations. They do this by making sustainability the axis of its business philosophy. They go beyond the formulation and manufacturing of natural products, they promote an agriculture that is more respectful with our environment, farmers, and the population.
Looking back in time, we can review Idai Nature's trajectory and associate it with milestones that have marked a long road, culminating in 2020 with the achievement of the highest award in Europe for sustainability as the 'most sustainable company in Europe in the Product and Service category of the European Business Awards' awarded by the European Commission.
This award is the result of a series of decisions, often in detriment of profitability and business growth, but which were linked to its DNA, to its mission of being 'green' from the core in its fundamental values.
As a result of this business philosophy, Idai Nature have sought to apply sustainable excellence to all the processes involved in the research, formulation and manufacture of a product. Idai Nature has an integrated quality and environmental management system based on the UNE-EN ISO 9001:2015 (since 2013) and UNE-EN ISO 14001:2015 (since 2016) standards. This system is certified by Bureau Veritas, an independent certifying entity based in Belgium and founded in 1828.
Proving its environmental commitment, Idai Nature is an EMAS company, and it has been voluntarily certified since January 2019 in the most demanding environmental management registry in Europe. The EMAS Regulation on Eco-Management and Audit Scheme is a Community Regulation that proposes an efficient system to help organizations manage and continuously improve their environmental performance becoming a model of excellence for environmental management. Member organizations periodically report on the workings of this system through an environmental statement verified by independent bodies. These entities are identified with the EMAS logo, which guarantees the reliability of the information provided by the company. Idai Nature's registration number is ES-CV-000068.
The ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and EMAS certificates and the environmental statement can be found on the company's website (www.idainature.com). The statement sets out all the environmental goals and targets that the organization sets for itself every year.
Disposal plastic waste
In this sense, social currents are increasingly linked to the protection of the environment and to adopting a commitment to sustainability in their daily actions. An example of this is the growing global concern about the difficulty of recycling and disposing of plastic waste. The difficulty of eliminating or reducing plastic packaging is a very common problem that companies face. Two years ago, Idai Nature decided to hire the only Spanish company that manufactures packaging with at least 30% from post-consumer recycled plastic, thus favouring companies that are committed to the idea of a circular economy to develop their business.
In addition, more than 7 years ago, Idai Nature adhered voluntarily to SIGFITO, a non-profit organization created with the aim of setting up an agricultural packaging collection system to give this material an appropriate environmental treatment.
This enables Idai Nature to contribute to the preservation of the environment and the sustainable development of agriculture. All the company's products and packaging are registered in SIGFITO. This initiative aims to set an example and make it easier for all local farmers to correctly treat this kind of waste, as the company is also a SIGFITO collection point. Any user who wishes to do so can bring their empty and rinsed packaging with the
SIGFITO logo.
Water recycling
In 2019, in relation to the necessary reduction of plastic consumption by the general population, reverse osmosis systems were implemented in Idai Nature's facilities in Valencia for all its employees, with the aim of avoiding the consumption of bottled water and single-use plastic containers. In addition, each employee is provided with their own glass bottle for personal use. Another action aimed to a more responsible water consumption and to avoid waste is the reuse of the water used to clean the product formulators as irrigation water for the gardens of the company's facilities.
The environmental impact generated by the carbon footprint at both individual and corporate level is another of Idai Nature's concerns. For this reason, another of the actions that has been implemented at the company since 2014 is the voluntary registration of greenhouse gas emissions in the Carbon Footprint Registry, facilitated by the Spanish Ministry for Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge.
The main objective in this area is to reduce the Carbon Footprint generated year-on-year. To this end, Idai Nature is carrying out a series of actions aimed to reversing its carbon footprint. For example, in terms of energy consumption, all the electricity consumed in the organization is 100% renewable. This means that it is certified by Renewable Origin Guarantees issued by the Spanish National Commission for Markets and Competition (CNMC), an independent body responsible for preserving, ensuring, and promoting the correct functioning, transparency, and existence of effective competition and efficient regulation in all markets and productive sectors for the benefit of consumers and users.
Another example, aiming to replace the company's fleet with electric vehicles, is the provision of electric car chargers in the company's car park to support the use of these vehicles by its employees. In addition, Idai Nature has encouraged teleworking for all employees who need to do so, in order to reduce CO₂ emissions caused by commuting to the workplace. This measure is also combined with a policy that has been implemented in the company since its inception, which is to encourage the recruitment of staff whose residence is within a radius of 15 km of its facilities, to avoid increasing its carbon footprint.
With the same purpose, the installation of photovoltaic panels, which produce energy for self-consumption through solar energy, was one of the largest investments made by the company in 2020, taken out of the budget item allocated to improving corporate sustainability. Annually, about 57,000 kWh are produced. This installation saves 5,287 litres of oil per year and avoids the emission of 24.38 tonnes of CO2.
New building
Idai Nature's exponential growth since its founding through to 2017 highlighted the need to expand its facilities, providing an opportunity to commit to the establishment of a sustainable office building model from scratch. This bold approach only endorses the consistency displayed by the company throughout its career. For this reason, the decision was made to design the building in accordance with PASSIVHAUS certification standards. Idai Nature is the only company in its sector with facilities with this certification, a construction standard that is characterized by its high energy efficiency, which reduces energy consumption and CO2 emissions to the atmosphere by 80% compared to a conventional building of the same characteristics. These buildings offer excellent thermal comfort and very good air quality throughout the year.
This award highlights the company's search for excellence in all its processes, participating in multiple innovation and sustainability-related projects. Collaboration with different universities, technology centres, as well as national and European official organizations is a constant. The most relevant projects in which the company is involved are those linked to the development of Circular Economy.
In this regard, Idai Nature is part of the Life program, the only European Union financial instrument exclusively dedicated to the environment. Its general goal for the 2014-2020 period is to contribute to sustainable development and to the achievement of the goals and targets of the Europe 2020 Strategy and relevant EU strategies, as well as to plans in the area of environment and climate. Furthermore, this call is aligned with the objectives established by the Green Deal. Within this program, Idai Nature has investigated the possibility of sourcing waste residues from agriculture (vegetable biomass) in order to reuse them as active ingredients for the production of its natural solutions.
In addition, Idai Nature is also part of two projects aimed to promoting circular economy through the use of agricultural by-products, converting them into raw materials for the development of new products. Greenprotect, in an already completed project and in the trial phase, has been approved by CDTI as a Research and Development Project, and is co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), through the Multi-regional Operational Program for Intelligent Growth. In this case, Idai Nature has carried out the research and development of new extracts derived from plant by-products, a valuable resource that is currently not being tapped into and is a source of pollution. As well as the Vitinnat project, co-funded by the Ministry of Agriculture and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), aimed to the research and development of vine wood diseases caused by residual by-products due to agricultural activity.
Development Goals
The implementation of the UN's 17 sustainable development goals into its Corporate Social Responsibility strategy in 2019 showed that the actions that have been carried out in the company for years follow the trajectory set by a globally-relevant body such as the UN. Number 2, 'End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition, and promote sustainable agriculture', is particularly relevant for Idai Nature. In this regard, production at the Naturalia ecological farm, owned by the company and where it carries out its product trials, is intended for social purposes, collaborating with associations such as Cáritas, altruistically donating ecological, seasonal, and local products. This action has also been adapted with its employees, facilitating access to seasonal fruit and vegetable boxes in order to avoid purchasing imported products as much as possible, thus helping to reduce the carbon footprint.
In relation to CSR, tree planting days are held to reduce the company's carbon footprint and as a sign of commitment against indiscriminate tree felling and deforestation, all paper from recycled sources is used for all the company's printed material, as well as FSC-certified chemical-free ink.
In this regard, sustainability is part of Idai Nature's DNA and is present in all its actions and business strategies. It has been part of the company's culture since its origin and is linked to a way of life and understanding of the global economy, being aware that there are limited natural resources that must be preserved if future generations are to enjoy a green and living planet, as we know it today. Idai Nature, born naturally. ●
Authors: Joel Ferrer,
Quality Control Specialist & Teresa Yuste,
Projects & Development Coordinator
Idai Nature 2021
Idai Nature is a Spanish biotech company founded in 2009 by Carlos Ledó. Throughout its history in manufacturing natural solutions for agricultural biocontrol, it has managed to adapt to market demands by focusing its efforts on providing farmers with natural and sustainable alternatives.
Idai Nature’s building was awarded the international Architectural Design Excellence prize at the BUILD Sustainable Building Awards.
<b>Finding Harmony within the chemistry-biology dichotomy
<b>Holly Meadows-Smith and Damian Curtis write
Growth in the biologicals market has been driven, at least in part, by consumer apprehensions toward the agrochemicals industry. The resulting focus-shift toward sustainability and environmental consciousness has been transforming agriculture for many years. Added to the fact that effective natural solutions may also provide a solution to chemical resistance issues, even the biggest players have incorporated natural, sustainable products into their product portfolios. The result has been a growth in the biopesticide market, estimated at over a $3 billion in 2016, by 2022 the biopesticide market is projected to reach $8.8 billion. Biostimulants are also growing in acceptance, with a CAGR of over 10% through the same timeframe.
Within the agricultural bioscience investment arena, biologics are prioritized over new chemicals, genetics, and seeds. Inside the industry itself, almost all major agrochemicals companies have a hand in the biologics game, either through their own research spend or by procuring smaller biological companies.
Merger and acquisition
Major acquisitions and partnerships for biological companies include Bayer-AgraQuest, Monsanto-Novozymes, BASF-Becker Underwood, DuPont-Taxon, Syngenta-Pasteuria, FMC-Chr Hansen, and Koch-Mendel-Pathway. These alliances alone make for over $2 billion worth of direct investment into biological research programs. Successful SME players include AgBiome, Koppert, Marrone Bioinnovations, and hundreds more. The biostimulant space (with solutions that range from plant growth promotion to improved fertilizer use efficiency to abiotic stress tolerance) is less saturated, although growing
in size, and is made up of companies such as Agrinos, BioConsortia, Indigo, Verdesian, and Valagro. Many of these companies work in
both areas.
New Technologies
Technological advancement is one contributor to the growing success of biologicals, enhancing both the breadth and scope of research programs through lowered cost and superior methodologies. Techniques like microbiome analysis have become common place in many research programs, and big data and machine learning have become buzzwords throughout the biological space. Companies like BioConsortia use ‘big’ microbiome data to help identify teams of microbes in superior performing plants, while Trace Genomics diagnose mutations and discover organisms based on genetic data that support the development of yield-relevant solutions.
Much technical progress can be attributed to industrial and pharmaceutical biotechnology. Some of these transferable advances include characterization of microbial and natural product chemistry libraries, efficient metabolite screening, and physical assets for scaling-up and producing large volumes of fermentation-based solutions.
Gene editing
CRISPR-Cas9, a ‘new’ gene-editing tool, has recently stepped into the agricultural limelight. CRISPR allows for gene activation, as well as natural gene addition/deletion, through precise mutation of existing DNA. Recently, Monsanto announced their license of the CRISPR-Cpf1 system, which offers even more flexibility to use the methodology across different crops and genes. The editing tool has already been incorporated into agricultural research.
Genetically modified crops continue to be developed and launched in critical agricultural regions of the world despite ongoing challenges in the European Union, and elsewhere, and gene editing tools have become routine for many crops and new tools are continually being developed to allow for modification of other agricultural crops. Interestingly, companies developing Biological Ag products have been slow to embrace the gene editing tools and methods that permeate the microbial biotechnology and academic world and have for many years.
Gene editing tools used daily by Amyris, Ginkgo Bioworks, Conagen and Zymergen, to name a few, are largely shunned by most biological research and development companies. This handicaps the capabilities and options for scientists working to develop new products for development companies. This handicaps the capabilities and options for scientists working to develop new products for farmers. The gene editing advancements being used to modify microbes to increase enzyme production, create new chemicals, and lower the cost of production for vital industrial inputs, biofuels, and commodity chemicals can also be used to improve the performance, lower costs of production, and expand opportunities for biologicals.
A few companies, BioConsortia, Pivot Bio and JoynBio, for example, are embracing these methods and working towards a gene edited biological products which will combine the attributes of biologicals which farmers like; multiple modes of action, the ability to apply the product right up to harvest, with enhanced performance and lower costs. There will certainly be regulatory and societal acceptance hurdles for the biologicals and there could be new exciting and effective options for farmers to use at a time when chemicals are under immense pressure.
Co-existence
The biologics industry still faces many challenges that inhibit actual competition with the well-established and dominant agrochemical world. These challenges largely relate to the expectations of growers who may be used to the instant mortality of pests following the application of a synthetic pesticide, for example.
In contrast, a microbial seed treatment for the same solution may have no effect on the pest but could induce a response in the plant that allows it to protect itself against the attack. Another challenge for natural solutions is consistency of efficacy. Historically, microbial solutions have been considered efficacious if they show yield effects 50% of the time. This is improving, of course, and will continue to do so as researchers better understand the mechanisms of biological effects. Formulation developments specific to microbial treatments will also ensure that biological products are delivered in an optimized form.
Nevertheless, many experts agree that the best strategy for biologicals is to work side-by-side with synthetic solutions. A natural treatment that can provide growth benefits under a reduced chemical fertilizer program, or a biological that brings benefit on top of a GM trait, are both viable routes to market and potentially more acceptable from a grower’s perspective.
Chemical seed treatments are so widely used that compatibility with harsh treatments should be considered at the initiation of biological research programs. Most, if not all, biological seed treatments are developed to be compatible with commercial seed packages (e.g. other biologicals, fungicides, pesticides, colorants, etc.). For example, BioConsortia uses chemically treated seed throughout the discovery process in order to select for microbes that can survive in these conditions. Poncho/VOTiVO combines natural and chemical solutions and the BioAg Alliance’s new Acceleron B-300 SAT does the same.
Biologicals have great potential to improve crop survival, growth, and yield while limiting negative impacts on the environment. By working within the current system and together with current solutions, biologicals have the potential to deliver the greatest success. ●
Damian Curtis PhD, Director of Synthetic Biology and Genomics, BioConsortia
Lead author: Holly Meadows-Smith, Marketing Associate at BioConsortia, 1940 Research Park Drive, Davis, CA 95618, USA
Holly Meadows-Smith,
Marketing Associate at BioConsortia and Damian Curtis PhD, Director of Synthetic Biology and Genomics, BioConsortia, explain the need for biologicals companies to work with the chemicals industry to develop compatible, synergistic solutions.
CRISPR allows for gene activation, as well as natural gene addition/deletion, through precise mutation of existing DNA.
<b>Tradecorp - On a Mission
An Interview with Jose Nolasco and Dr. Cathal Daynes
Jose Nolasco,
Director of Strategy & Innovation, from Tradecorp and Dr. Cathal Daynes, Global Technical Manager, discuss Tradecorp's mission which is to help feed the planet through healthy and safe solutions while promoting a balanced and sustainable agriculture.
What is your view on the trends around sustainable agriculture?
We are living in exciting times for agriculture with a clear trend towards enhanced sustainability. Scientific and producer knowledge, along with technology, are increasing our ability to produce more with even less. However, the challenges of today’s agriculture are huge. It is not only producing the food and clothes for humanity, we have to do it in a more sustainable way, while considering consumer trends and demands, such as healthy more nutritious food; and
distributor and grower demands for sustainable, yet profitable solutions.
We believe this will be achievable via a Well Balanced Agriculture that combines existing technologies, such as crop protection and basic crop nutrition, and incorporates new and emerging input technologies, such as biocontrol, biostimulants and specialty nutrition, and of course all these inputs enhanced through combination with the appropriate adjuvants to maximise efficiency. At Tradecorp, we are proud to help spearhead this new agricultural revolution.
Could you explain a bit more
about Tradecorp?
The Tradecorp story began more than 35 years ago, starting out as a local company in Spain, that has now grown into a global company with sales in more than 60 countries.
Tradecorp is part of Rovensa Group, a global leader in sustainable solutions for agriculture, which comprises bionutrition, biocontrol and crop protection solutions. The Group's mission is to feed the planet while preserving and protecting its natural resources. As a Rovensa Company, Tradecorp is committed to develop solutions that lead the transition towards a sustainable agriculture, by developing a high quality portfolio of biostimulants, micronutrients, specialty nutrients and adjuvants. Many of these solutions are inclusively suitable for organic agriculture.
Tradecorp´s mission is to help feed the planet through healthy and safe solutions promoting a balanced and sustainable agriculture. We achieve this as a reference company in the global bionutrition sector, via our high quality portfolio, which is managed under the umbrella of biostimulants, micronutrients, specialty fertilisers and adjuvants, remembering that many of our products are suitable for organic agriculture.
And now moving to the details - in what way would you say your products
are sustainable?
First of all, sustainability is at the heart of Tradecorp, from renewable electricity used in our entire facilities in Spain, including factories, to our corporate social responsibility and sustainability initiatives - as members of Global G.A.P. and signatories of the United Nations Global Compact. This sustainability ethos to help growers “produce more with less” flows right though the Company, from top to bottom, and of course into our product offerings.
Secondly, sustainability informs all decisions regarding products in Tradecorp, beginning right at the product concept inception stage. REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals), GHS (Globally Harmonised System), organic certification (particularly CE, NOP and JAS), sustainable procurement, the circular economy, raw material sustainability, logistics efficiency, and the new EU Farm to Fork initiative, all inform our decision making when developing the portfolio. As of today, we have more than 50 products with organic certifications.
Tradecorp’s facilities in Spain, including factories, use renewable electricity.
What role does Tradecorp believe its products, and similar products, can play in sustainable agriculture?
At its heart sustainable agriculture aims to produce enough food, and agricultural products such as cotton and flax for textiles, to meet the needs of today’s population without compromising the ability of future agriculture to meet the needs of tomorrow’s population. As such there are many ways that Tradecorp supports sustainable agriculture via our knowledge and portfolio.
At a top level our goal of “producing more with less” has sustainability at its heart. By combining our know how, and our product solutions, every time we help growers to achieve this goal, we
are contributing to sustainability; whether it
is via increasing the roots biomass of crops to enable a more efficient root system that
allows the potential to reduce fertiliser inputs,
the use of biostimulants to reduce the negative yield and quality effects of Abiotic Stress, or
the development of ultra-efficient products,
that reduce the product logistics footprint,
while also enabling growers to use lower
doses than similar products. “More with less”
is all about sustainability.
At a problem specific level, our individual product offerings, and importantly our knowledge training and outreach on how best to use these products, helps growers to tackle different issues allowing for continued optimum yield and quality while
also managing the problem in a way that promotes sustainability.
Could you explain more about some of these specific problems and how Tradecorp is combining its products, knowledge and outreach to tackle them?
We have many examples, let’s look at soil degradation, which is a global problem. In line with our outreach, we train distributors and growers, and also the general public, by releasing articles, and also conducting training both online and in person on how to best use our products, for example humic acids, such as Humifirst to help tackle this problem. This way we are not only helping growers manage their crop, we are helping them to sustainably manage their precious soil resource.
Another example is climate breakdown, which is increasing Abiotic Stress in most global crop situations, with more frequent droughts, heat stress, cold stress, or flooding to name but a few challenges. To help growers use products in the most efficient and sustainable way to combat these various stresses, we have developed our Biostimulation 360 initiative. This outreach program is aimed at training growers and distributors on how best to manage these challenges and to promote the ongoing sustainability of their production. We condense complex research and theories into easier to understand concepts like Primactive and Curactive that more easily explain how our products work, and when to best apply them. For example, should they use the product in advance of stress to prime the plants against the oncoming stress, or is it better to use it during, or after stress to help cure the plant from the effect of the abiotic stress. It sounds simple in hindsight, but more than a decade of research was needed to first develop the science behind these concepts and to distil the message into such a clear and simple format, by aggregating products in two distinct application timing groups, and we believe is a truly innovative approach.
And what about your products? Would you say they are sustainable?
As an example of one of our many sustainable products, and the sustainable process around them let us take Vegenergy. This is a vegetal L-α free amino acids based product, the amino acids used as raw materials themselves being derived from plants produced by agriculture, so a sustainable and renewable raw material from our own industry. When processed into amino acids the product has a very good environmental profile. In fact, Vegenergy is also CE and NOP approved for organic agriculture. Then when applied to crops particularly during or after abiotic stress it helps secure yield and quality in a sustainable fashion. As the product is itself from agriculture we are helping the sustainability of local communities, firstly by providing demand and income for the crop that is used as the raw material, and secondly by facilitating the more sustainable production of other crops that will receive applications of Vegenergy. This is a good example of the level of sustainability in many of our products, and also a perfect example of the circular
economy in action - a product from sustainable agriculture to be used in sustainable agriculture.
You not only use raw materials from land plants, you also use seaweeds and seaplants. Could you tell us a bit more about that?
Indeed, Phylgreen is another example of our sustainable ethos. It is derived from freshly harvested Ascophyllum nodosum, a coldwater seaweed that lives in the north Atlantic.
Phylgreen is hand harvested by our local seaweed harvesters. Some of our harvesters’ families have “farmed” this seaweed for many generations. Hand harvesting is obviously the most environmentally friendly and sustainable way to harvest the Ascophyllum seaweed. In addition, during collection, the cutters ensure they leave the holdfast (which can be thought of as the roots of the seaweed) behind, attached to the rocks, so that the Ascophyllum can regrow and sustain itself.
Although harvested by hand, the harvest process is sophisticatedly managed with all harvests logged by GPS. As part of our sustainable management practices of this natural resource, the harvesters typically do not return to the same area for seven years, to allow plenty of time for the Ascophyllum to regrow and reproduce.
Once the seaweed arrives at our factory, our sustainability ethos continues. The Phylgreen is extracted using our proprietary “Gentle Extraction” process. This process differs from conventional seaweed extraction in that no harsh extraction chemicals are used. We employ a simple cutting and pressure extraction process that requires no chemical extraction aids and thus results in no chemical waste. As part of the circular economy, after extraction of the Phylgreen, the seaweed fibres left over from the process are then fed to local farm animals. Nothing is wasted from our natural raw material. The Phylgreen itself is then bottled with no further processing, and can be thought of as the “extra virgin olive oil” of seaweeds, being of the highest quality, efficacy and sustainability.
Are there other parts of Tradecorp production that you would also highlight from a sustainability point of view?
As mentioned before, since November 2020, all Tradecorp facilities in Spain, including the factories, are running on 100% renewable energy. This is but the latest example of our strong commitment to sustainability, which has always been at the core of Tradecorp. One example: we implemented an Integrated Quality and Environmental Management System that is ISO14001:2004 certified more than 20 years ago.
Our commitment involves carrying out numerous environmental protection initiatives, including activities aimed at sustainable water management, controlling and reducing emissions, along with appropriate waste management, aimed at reusing materials when possible, and recycling when not. The goal is to continue to increase our reuse of materials, while reducing the production of non-recyclable waste with the aim of reducing every year the quantity of waste produced per ton of final product produced.
And looking to the future, what plans does Tradecorp have to build on its record in sustainability? (new products, supply chain)
Of course, our search for an ever more sustainable future continues. For example, some of our successful conventional products and formulation have been re-examined, with formulation changes made to enable them to be used in organic agriculture. This allows Tradecorp to bring our expertise and proven product efficacy to this ever expanding sector of agriculture. This reformulation strategy is in addition to products that from inception are specifically designed for use by the organic market.
Regarding new products, of course we cannot give many details at present, however we can say that our next major product launch is a breakthrough in ultra-efficiency at low doses for the biostimulant sector. This product is highly sustainable when viewed from many varied angles.
Not only will it increase the sustainability of crop production helping “produce more with less”, it will be used at an ultra-low dose. This means there will be less logistics and reduced transport of material due to the highly concentrated nature and ultra-low doses of the product.
In addition, it is derived from a natural and sustainable plant origin. Its proven performance on yield and quality will also dilute all the agronomic inputs used across more produce and output increasing the sustainability of the overall production program, and additionally it can also allow for a reduction reduction in total inputs used in the crop. From start to finish sustainability is built into this product… just as sustainability is built into Tradecorp’s DNA.
What initiatives would Tradecorp like to see to stimulate developments in sustainable agriculture?
Globally, initiatives and innovation around sustainable agriculture are probably currently at an all-time high and have not been this way since the Green Revolution. Sustainable food production is on almost every government’s agenda, and we are proud to be involved in many of these ongoing initiatives, from trials backed by international overseas development aid to increase small holder productivity and sustainability in developing countries, to active participation in EU initiatives such as the European Green Deal particularly
“Farm to Fork”. ●
Jose Nolasco
Director of Strategy & Innovation
jose.nolasco@tradecorp.rovensa.com
Dr. Cathal Daynes
Global Technical Manager
cathal.daynes@tradecorp.rovensa.com
…we are not only helping
growers manage their crop,
we are helping them to
sustainably manage their
precious soil resource.
Tradecorp’s cutters ensure they leave the holdfast (which can be thought of as the roots of the seaweed) behind, attached to the rocks, so that the Ascophyllum can regrow and sustain itself
Tradecorp uses a Gentle Extraction process for its seaweed-based products.
<b>Soil Management Sustainability Project 2021 - 2024
Pedro Juan, Certis Europe writes
Its successes in supporting the production of safe and healthy food already align well with the aims of the European Union’s Green Deal and its ‘From Farm to Fork’ strategy and the company continues its work to develop products and programmes to meet the new challenges.
Soil management
New approaches to soil management are showing promising results and a consortium has been created, including two renowned Spanish Agricultural Institutes, Instituto Murciano de Investigación y Desarrollo Agrario y Alimentario (IMIDA) and Instituto de Investigación y Formación Agraria y Pesquera (IFAPA) in Andalucía, with Certis Spain, to develop an ambitious ‘Soil Management Sustainability’ project in line with the requirements of the European Union’s Green Deal.
The project is currently being evaluated by a committee of experts, appointed by the European Commission. If successful, grants will allow the consortium to work with several important cooperatives, for the benefit of producers and growers, in a four-year project, to find integrated solutions for the control of soil problems.
Its aim is to be at the forefront of achieving integrated solutions for the control of soil problems, based on strategies that include a reduction in the use of fumigants, the incorporation of biosolarization practices and the application of biorational products via irrigation, which together allows the effective control of pests and diseases, through a more sustainable use of plant protection products.
Fumigant restrictions
Fruit and vegetable production is facing the challenge of a severe restriction in the use of soil fumigants, which will generate a loss of production yield, due to the increase in the problem of soil diseases such as Phytophthora, Verticillium, Fusarium, Macrophomina, as well as the increase of nematodes Meloidogyne, Pratylenchus, etc. The persistence of soil diseases and nematodes forces the use of conventional plant protection products, such as soil fumigants, and at the same time the new European regulations, which recommend the reduction of conventional plant protection products and fertilizers, mean that we must implement new strategies for the future, to be developed by the industry and growers together to create new solutions.
The use of biostimulants, and biorationals based on microorganisms that have the dual function of achieving the bioavailability of nutrients to the root system will help to achieve a reduction in the use of conventional fertilizers. Certis is well positioned to lead this trend in the market of plant protection products, due to its experience in this segment and the availability of a portfolio that ranges from the use of fumigants to natural "biorational" products registered by the Ministry of Agriculture in Spain for the application in drip irrigation.
Role for IPM
In Spain, the Growing for the Future project, working with major grower cooperatives, combine the use of auxiliary insects (in greenhouse crops), with some registered conventional products in those crops (Mospilan Max or Takumi) and a battery of registered biorationals (Amylo -X, Armicarb, Delfin). In some crop programs, like pepper or cucumber, this already represents 70% use of Biorationals with 30% conventional products obtaining, in most cases, fruit free of residues. Programs are also being developed in open field as well as greenhouse crops.
Extending to Italy
The project is now being extended to other European countries and growers. In Italy, for example, growers have already started to work with the protocols and programs of Growing for the Future after visiting their Spanish counterparts to see the programs in operation.
In southeast Sicily, the most important area in Italy for vegetable production in protected conditions, the project involves 13 important farms specializing in tomato, courgette, melon, watermelon and pepper production under plastic. Now in the second year of the project, they benefit from the combination of a technical presence in the field and the adoption of a specific defence protocol to protect the crop and provide low residue production in terms of the
number of pesticides used and levels of individual active ingredients detected on
the fruits.
At the end of the first year of the project good results were obtained in terms of quality and quantity of production, food safety and sustainability for growers and the environment. The adoption of Growing for the Future protocols, including the use of biorational products such as Eradicoat, Karma, and Costar in a program to manage crop protection, achieved production of courgettes with zero residues and a reduction of 80% in the number of residues compared to the farm reference on tomato production, satisfying all the most stringent requirements of large-scale retailers.
The project includes a full residue analysis service for the farms involved, conducted by a reference laboratory in Italy for large-scale retailers in Europe. This activity provides a clear picture of active ingredient residues and validates the strategy adopted. Sicilian growers using the protocols are delighted with the support they have received, and the results achieved, as mentioned by one of the tomato growers from Vittoria: “The Growing for the Future project has allowed us to have professional technical support that you can trust to manage our crops.”
For another grower the value of the residue profile and analysis was a key part of the support. ”Now we have more knowledge on the residue profile of active ingredients and we are able to read the residue analysis report and its valuation for the large-scale retailers. I appreciated the training provided to help me manage the residue report and interpretation of the results”, he explained.
According to a courgette grower from Ispica, Sicily, the analysis brings a major commercial advantage to the business. He commented: “The residue analysis allows me to respond to any request from the large-scale retailers to monitor our production continuously. Even if supply is high on the market, it is always possible to sell our produce now.” ●
The residue analysis allows me to respond to any request from the large-scale retailers to monitor our production continuously…
Courgette grower in Ispica, Sicily.
Certis Europe’s Pedro Juan, Leader of Growing For the Future Strategic Project, describes the company’s soil management sustainability project in Spain 2021-2024 and how it looks to provide solutions to a reduction in permitted soil fumigants.
Credit: Source: Certis Europe
‘Growing for the Future’ is the core focus of Certis Spain’s sustainability strategy, built over a number of years to create a "competitive advantage" for its customers and for growers, but also for the benefit of consumers in particular.
The Growing for the Future project
includes pepper production.
<b>Greener Houses
Interview with Erik van den Bergh,
Managing Director, Van Iperen International
Van Iperen as a group has existed for 100 years as a family owned business. The company historically serves growers in The Netherlands, being one of the market leaders in greenhouse supplies and arable crops. The group has its own production facilities near the port of Rotterdam for speciality liquid fertilizers as well as water-soluble NPK, which are among the largest of its kind in Europe. The group has a consolidated turnover of over 300 million Euro yearly. In 2010, van Iperen International was created to serve the export markets. It has rapidly grown since then with offices and people on all continents and sales in over 100 countries. Van Iperen International offers the products produced inside the group but also represents their minority shareholder ADOB in the global market being their marketing partner under the Van Iperen and Eurosolids brands. Next to that the company represents several specialty fertilizer producers that have no access by themselves to the world market. Van Iperen International also has a strategic partnership with Acadian Plant Health, for the marketing and formulation of seaweed-based products. The company is also focused on two of their most innovative projects, being P4P biostimulants and GreenSwitch sustainable organic nitrates, further introduced below.
Agriculture in Europe is very developed with high yields and quality products and as matter of fact we can be proud about that. But it is now time to work on increased sustainability in parallel and show the world how to do so. Soil organic matter content deserve all the focus, which by the way can bring a significant contribution to compensate carbon oxide emission. Another
focus should be to bring more circularity in agricultural systems. Like we do with GreenSwitch combining all the agricultural sectors in one project of N-circularity: producing nitrates from manure that will be utilized in greenhouses and outdoor fruit and vegetables, instead of applying synthetically produced nitrates (with a heavy carbon footprint) and have nitrogen (NH3) emission into the air from manure at the same time.
Talking about sustainability and reducing carbon footprint, we all know the need for Nutrient Use Efficiency and Water Use Efficiency. But how to do
it? At Van Iperen we try to be with our feet on the ground and help the farmer not only with innovate products (like our Water-soluble NPK with IPE Technology for NUE and WAKE-Up for WUE) but also show how to fertigate or calculate his total nutrient program for instance. Grow more with less and how to do so.
Moving to specifics. Van Iperen is involved in two projects – Plants for Plants and GreenSwitch.
Let's take Plants for Plants first - please summarise the objective of this project, the trial results and the next steps.
Plants for Plants ® or P4P is our project that started more than 10 years ago by Adriano Altissimo in Italy, with the aim to develop a new generation of biostimulants derived from commercial plants. That is why “Plants for Plants”. The starting point is how to select and utilize the mechanism of one plant species against a certain abiotic stress factor (like drought) on another commercial crop. After so many years of scientific research we have selected the first prototypes that are tested in the field for several years and being formulated with the help of the European LIFE subsidy. The first commercial products boost the crop in different processes, from phosphate use efficiency up to drought tolerance and yield level. With the help of our European network of distributors we have done field demonstration trials in 30 crops in all climate zones and 18 countries in Europe and with great results. Performance is not only obtained under abiotic stress conditions or on poor soils, but we even have very encouraging results in what seems optimal conditions on Dutch fertile soils with high input of nutrients. We are sharing the results with our partners and in several publications as well as on our website. Crops vary from cereals, potatoes to fruits, such as apricot and apple. Commercial introduction is foreseen in season 2022 so we are in full preparation with the go-to-market program. Really exciting to bring new biostimulants next to the proven humic acid, seaweed extracts and amino acid that dominated the market of biostimulants for so many years.
And for GreenSwitch - another interesting project - please summarise the aims of the project, and the progress so far.
GreenSwitch produces organic nitrates derived from manure. It is an innovative, patented process in a bioreactor that starts with digestate out of a biogas installation and delivers a liquid potassium nitrate solution with a close to zero carbon footprint. Our aim with GreenSwitch is to obtain N-circularity and zero carbon footprint for nitrate fertilizers. This is a big challenge as today all nitrates applied in greenhouses and open field are synthetically produced. The chemical production is based on technologies that we know as Haber-Bosch and Oswald processes, developed about 100 years ago. Great achievements, but extremely energy demanding therefore with a heavy carbon footprint. We shall give the greenhouse grower as well as all fruit and vegetable farmers an important step stone towards full sustainability, without having to change their cropping systems. GreenSwitch is a unique sustainable nitrate fertilizer that we now produce in our first commercial plant in the east of the Netherlands. We started to deliver several Dutch and overseas greenhouses. These greenhouse growers (among them the largest in the country) are eager to join the project as early adopters to prove that they can become more sustainable even in high tech greenhouses. They also use it to better promote their own branded fruit or vegetables to the consumers.
From left to right:
Erik Roelofs from
Agro Energie Hardenberg,
Phil van Wakeren from Pure Green Agriculture and Marc van Oers
from Van Iperen International
Moving to Van Iperen's wider ambitions - are there other projects that you are involved in that have a sustainability dimension?
We believe that more and more fertilizers will be replaced by innovative alternatives that are circular or coming from waste streams. We have several such projects not only covering nitrogen.
Our aim is however not only to make them circular or carbon neutral but still also to support current high-tech, intensive farming. With the world population continuing to grow we cannot afford to go down in efficiency and yield level.
More generally, in order to drive sustainable practices, what developments would Van Iperen like to see encouraged in farming systems throughout Europe and other regions?
Plain and simple: more fertigation,
to address climate change, save water and improve the nutrient use efficiency. ●
Erik van den Bergh (on the right) and Geert van Adrichem, high-tech tomato grower
Van Iperen has a long history in providing specialty crop nutrition to growers in the Netherlands and in many markets around the world. Here, Erik van den Bergh, Managing Director, Van Iperen International discusses the sustainability challenges facing agriculture today and solutions the company has today and is working on for the future.
Before we talk about some of the projects that Van Iperen is involved in, let's begin with an overview of Van Iperen. Can you tell us a little about its history and its product portfolio?
Erik van den Bergh, Managing Director, Van Iperen International
When looking at agricultural systems in Europe, for example, what would Van Iperen highlight as the issues from a sustainability point of view?
Given Van Iperen's view on sustainability, where does the company feel it can play a role?
Target crops for the Plants for Plants project vary from from cereals, potatoes (pictured) to fruits, such as apricot and apple.
The first product to be produced is GreenSwitch Original, an organic, clear potassium nitrate solution
Front cover image: Aerial view of modern agricultural greenhouses in the Netherlands by GAPS
