A successful launch for Global Fertilizer Day

On 12 – 13 October 2016, international agriculture professionals celebrated the first ever Global Fertilizer Day. The significance of the date marks the anniversary of the patent submission of the Haber-Bosch process titled “synthesis of ammonia from air”, filed in 1908, which helped fuel the Green Revolution in the 1960s. The main topics of the event revolved around understanding the past, present, and future of agriculture in context of building sustainability in the coming years. Today, the use of fertilizer accounts for half of the total world food production. It is a farming supplement used by all farmers today and an invention that will keep billions fed for years to come.

The aim of marking this day was to bring the concept of farming closer to the general population by creating a network of international agricultural professionals that ranged from renowned agricultural scientists, environmental and agricultural media, industry executives and associations, for open and constructive discussions. Creating a platform like this gave members of different sectors of agriculture the opportunity to openly address their main concerns and solutions for the present food industry.

The first day was held on the premises of the Rothamsted Research Centre in Harpenden, UK, the oldest continuously running agricultural research facility in existence. Keith Goulding, one of the most renowned scientists at this institution, was the group’s main guide and led the delegates through the sample archives, which included some soil samples that are nearly two centuries old. The staff’s objectives are ensuring a sustainable and plentiful future of food and farming.

The second day of the activities was held at the Farmers’ Club in London. The day served as a platform for discussion about looking towards the prospects of farming in a conversation titled “Going Forward: Where are we headed with products and technology”. This debate gave the delegates an opportunity to discuss their main concerns about the agriculture industry with the objective of suggesting innovative solutions for the future. A significant take-away from these discussions was the concept of diversity in different countries and continents with regards to climate change and farming practices. The day ended with a tour of London that brought the representatives together, finalising the launch of the first Global Fertilizer Day.

Read the article online at: https://www.worldfertilizer.com/nitrogen/19102016/a-successful-launch-for-global-fertilizer-day/