Goal Set: 70 Million Acres Under 4R Nutrient Stewardship by 2030

On World Fertilizer Day (October 13) The Fertilizer Institute (TFI) and its ag retail members announced a campaign to increase the use of 4R nutrient stewardship to 70 million acres in the next nine years. 

“This is a stretch goal, but we think it’s very attainable,” says TFI president and CEO Corey Rosenbusch. He explains TFI worked with retailers who assessed the current use of 4R stewardship across the acres they serve for farmers and set the number. 

The four Rs of 4R nutrient stewardship are the right fertilizer source at the right rate, at the right time, and in the right place.

“This is a way to help farmers improve their farm business. Using the 4R leads to higher yields, lower input costs, and less nutrient losses to the environment,” Rosenbusch says. 

70 million acres is roughly one-quarter of the cropland acres in the U.S.

Setting the goal and creating how it will be assessed has been a process and a partnership. TFI and its members worked to develop a framework and how to measure the 4R principles are put into practice. 

“This marks day one of the beginning for how we can measure how these practices are being used,” Rosenbusch says. “And by early next year, we’ll have a baseline and a benchmark.”

This framework allows for many practices to qualify acres as being under 4R management including: variable rate technology, split applications, the use of cover crops, accounting for weather during application, crediting organic sources and removal rates, etc. 

Rosenbusch continues, “making this commitment shows our industry’s goals for meeting sustainability objectives for the fertilizer industry, and coming off of World Fertilizer Day, it’s an opportunity to highlight the critical role fertilizer plays.” 

This campaign is the latest project from TFI which as worked to drive change and drive adoption to improve stewardship. Ongoing efforts also include the 4R Advocate program which every year recognizes five farmers and retail partners for their work in using 4R nutrient stewardship.