Convincing farmers to try something new isn’t the easiest task.
So, over the last few years, Nutrien Ag Solutions must be doing something right.
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It has persuaded a significant number of Prairie farmers to sign up for its Sustainable Nitrogen Outcomes program.
“Canada has been really great. We started with 40,000 acres in 2021…. We’re over 700,000 acres enrolled this year,” said Sally Flis, the company’s director of sustainability program design and outcome management.
The program is based upon the 4R nutrient stewardship plan, which is using the right rate, right time, right source and right place when applying fertilizer.
“What the grower has to do, to participate, at a minimum is write a 4R nutrient stewardship plan,” Flis said.
“What’s been kind of interesting to find out is that a lot more growers than we expected … don’t necessarily have a written plan that’s signed off by a 4R certified agronomist. That’s been an entry point for these growers…. Let’s actually write it down and make a plan.”
Nutrien is one of several organizations in Canada, including Farm Credit Canada, that are attempting to adjust farmer practices and cut greenhouse gas emissions from nitrogen fertilizer.
The primary concern is nitrous oxide, a powerful greenhouse gas.
One kilogram of N20 released into the atmosphere is equivalent to about 300 kg of carbon dioxide.
“For (the) sustainable nitrogen outcomes program, that’s our main goal (cutting nitrous oxide),” Flis said.
There are three levels in the program — beginner, intermediate and advanced.
“As they go up in … implementation, they can achieve a bigger payment because they’re going to achieve more (N2O) reductions,” Flis said.
“An intermediate grower has to have their 4R plan and use an enhanced efficiency nitrogen (EEF) fertilizer.”
At the advanced level a grower needs a 4R plan and must use an EEF and a variable rate application of nitrogen.
Growers who participate don’t receive a cheque in the mail. Instead, Nutrien Ag Solutions puts a credit on their account.
“You get paid on the number of tonnes of carbon equivalent emission reductions,” Flis said.
“You have an account with us.… You’re going to get a positive deposit on that account, from us.”
The Sustainable Nitrogen Outcomes program is part of a much larger effort at Nutrien to help growers adopt sustainable agricultural products and practices on 75 million acres globally by 2030.
“We measured, documented and calculated outcomes on two million sustainably engaged acres in North America, South America and Australia … for crop quality, soil health, GHG emissions, water quality and biodiversity,” says the 2023 Nutrien sustainability report.
Page 82 of the report explains that global companies such as Nutrien face reputational risk if they do nothing about greenhouse gas emissions.
“The world is transitioning to lower-carbon options for consumer products, including food. Consumer and societal expectations are high for growers to drastically reduce emissions from agriculture,” the report says.
“Failure to meet these expectations can negatively impact the reputation of our company and our customers.”
At the farm level, the motivation to change practices probably has nothing to do with climate change or corporate ambitions.
If it makes agronomic and financial sense, farmers will give it a try.
“What we do in the field and what our crop consultants do in the field … is (about) good agronomy,” Flis said.
“Food companies, governments… can call it whatever they want…. At the end of the day, we are a leader in the field for (following) good agronomic practices and helping farmers make good decisions.”
