An Introduction To IFA

An Introductionto IFA

About usThe International Fertilizer Association (IFA) wasfounded in 1927 and is the only global fertilizerassociation with a membership of more than 500entities, in over 70 countries. IFA’s Members includefertilizer producers, traders and distributors, as wellas their associations, service providers to theindustry, research organizations and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs).IFA's vision: Productive and sustainableagricultural systems contribute to a world free ofhunger and malnutrition.IFA's mission: IFA promotes the ef cient andresponsible production, distribution and use ofplant nutrients.ŸAccess to our exclusive publications,newsletters, webinars and industry updates;ŸAccess to benchmarking and certi cationprograms on safety, health and environment;ŸRepresentation at high-level meetings of theUN and its specialized agencies (e.g. FAOand UNEP), OECD, and other internationalorganizations;ŸGaining experience and visibility by becomingan IFA Ambassador or Committee member;ŸReputation enhancement through IFAmembership.IFA’s approach: IFA provides a framework forexchange and collaboration among its memberson areas of common interest, and a structure foragreeing on common positions and joint actions.What are the advantages of being an IFAMember? Here are just a few:ŸBeing part of a vast global network offertilizer professionals;ŸPossibility to inspire and contribute toposition papers, as well as participate inpolicy dialogues on topics of importance tothe fertilizer industry, sustainable agricultureand environmental stewardship;ŸAccess to facts and gures in the form of rst-class global statistics on fertilizersupply and consumption and marketintelligence;12“For [us] the bene t of IFA is whenMembers ( ) align on key messages,align on common goals, and align on whatis important for us to address as anindustry, for example sustainableagriculture. We as an industry achieve farmore than any one company couldindividually, we gain credibility and weprovide leverage around many of theissues that our industry faces”Long-standing IFA Member,President and CEO, West Asia.International Fertilizer Association- Copyright 2017

IFA provides an invaluable framework forcollaboration along the fertilizer value chainOur Members decide together on areas ofcommon interest, joint actions and positions withregard to complex issues facing the industry today.IFA events facilitate the sharing of information andbest practices. Joining IFA's thematic Committees,Working Groups or Task Forces expands members'knowledge and contacts and allows them to shapecommon positions.The IFA Secretariat, based in Paris, works with andfor Members to carry out the Associations'activities.Business networking and best practice sharingIFA organizes conferences and events year-roundin various locations all across the world to mirror itsglobal membership.Peer-to-peer contacts remain fundamentallyimportant for the industry’s business operationsand robust competition. Networking also facilitatesthe exchange of best practices to drive improvedperformance. IFA provides open forums fornetworking and the exchange of knowledge andexpertise.IFA’s Annual Conference is the annual fertilizerindustry event worldwide. Held in different regionseach year, it attracts around 1,300 participants,including chief executives and senior managementrepresentatives.Members also have access to these subjectspeci c IFA Conferences:ŸThe annual IFA Strategic Forum,ŸThe annual IFA Crossroads Asia-Paci cConference (also open to non-Members),ŸThe annual IFA Production and InternationalTrade Conference,ŸThe annual IFA Agriculture and CommunicationMeeting,ŸThe biennial IFA Global Safety Summit,ŸThe biennial IFA Global Technical Symposium.“We participate in most IFA events, predominantly the Annual Conference ( ) It’s very good tobe an active member of IFA, and interact with many fertilizer companies across the globe. Ithelps a lot with networking, business development and appraisal of technology all over theworld.” Long-standing IFA Member, President and CEO, South AmericaInternational Fertilizer Association- Copyright 201713

Exclusively designed statistics and market intelligenceAuthoritative and comprehensive informationabout the industry and fertilizer markets is the basisof robust competition on the open market, tradeand appropriate policies. The information providedthrough IFA’s statistics and analyses are critical forthe industry and policymakers alike.ŸŸIFADATA : reliable, historic, long-termconsumption statistics from 1973 onwards fornitrogen, phosphorus and potassium byproduct and country. IFADATA is a searchableonline database focusing on plant nutritionuses only;D A T A“We use IFADATA on a daily basis. It is theresource that we use the most on the IFAwebsite.” Long-standing IFA Member,Senior Analyst, EuropeP I T D ATA : t h e l a t e s t P r o d u c t i o n a n dInternational Trade (PIT) database launched inMay 2016, providing IFA members with onlineaccess to: statistics on production, deliveriesand exports by country of 17 mainstreamproducts, intermediates and raw materials,based on more than 50 years of coverage atIFA. 700 statistical (annual and quarterly)Reports from 2002 onwards are alreadyavailable to IFA members, with close to 1 millionstatistics on production and trade retrievableonline!“The PIT statistics are a neutral, trusted, and proven source of information which we proudly quoteto stakeholders in our annual reports and publications.” Long-standing IFA member,Vice President, West Asia.14International Fertilizer Association- Copyright 2017

Benchmarking and certi cation“You can’t improve what you can’t measure”IFA has developed several voluntarybenchmarks on energy ef ciency, emissionsreductions and employee safety for it’sMembers. Continuous improvement is criticalfor the sustainable production, distributionand use of fertilizers. IFA is uniquely placed topromote best practices throughout thefertilizer value chain and to foster improvementin the industry’s own operational performancethrough voluntary benchmarking.Product Stewardship might be describedas the "next step" in Safety, Health andEnvironmental (SHE) management, thatreaches beyond the factory gate incooperation with suppliers, transporters andretailers. It is about putting into placeresponsible business managementprocesses across a product's lifecycle.“The Technical and SHE Committee brings alot of value [to us], especially through theProtect & Sustain initiative where we workcollectively on the product stewardship of theindustry.” Long-standing IFA Member,Executive Vice President, North America.International Fertilizer Association- Copyright 2017IFA offers a voluntary certi cation called“Protect & Sustain” for Members who havesuccessfully adopted product stewardshipmeasures. Every two years, the IFA GreenLeaf Award is given to fertilizer producersthat have excelled in their SHE performance.15

International engagement & reputation buildingInternational institutions and initiatives addressissues that can directly or indirectly pertain tofertilizer production, distribution and use. IFAmakes sure that the industry's voice and bestinterests are represented at policy debates duringmeetings of the UN, OECD, FAO and otherinternational organisations, as well as otherinternational agricultural, environmental, scienti cand policy forums.IFA's mission is to enhance the pro le andreputation of the fertilizer industry among themedia, strategic international policymakers,in uencers, team leaders, NGOs, and otherorganizations, by communicating and promotingthe continuous actions and solutions offered byIFA members to address global societal concernsrelated to sustainable agriculture, food security,and environmental sustainability.One of the important roles of IFA entailspromoting nutrient stewardship i.e. “theef cient and effective planning and managementof plant nutrients.”IFA communicates extensively onnutrient stewardship practices,based on the “4Rs” (which entailusing the right nutrient source atthe right rate, right time and rightplace); and promotes them further by partnering withfarmers, research and extension organizations. IFAalso grants the IFA Norman Borlaug Award since1993 to encourage research and extension works thatimprove crop nutrition performance.IFA has published several books on nutrientmanagement related topics, and contributes tointernational projects dedicated to the sharing ofbest management practices. In addition, IFA coorganizes regular conferences and seminars toexchange with its members and partners onsustainable fertilizer nd theirEf cient UseMicronutrients for SustainableFood, Feed, Fibre andBioenergy ProductionFertilizing Crops to ImproveHuman Health:A Scienti c ReviewManaging Water andFertilizer for SustainableAgricultural Intensi cationSlow- and ControlledRelease and StabilizedFertilizers“The biggest bene t we get from IFA's work is the work done in international forums, like the UN( ) The best value we get out of that is when IFA puts together well sourced information thatallows us to prosecute a good argument at home”. Long-standing IFA member, ExecutiveManager, Oceania.16International Fertilizer Association- Copyright 2017

IFA MembershipM e m b e r s h i p a t I FA i s o p e n e d t o a n yorganization interested in plant nutrition. IFA hasfour different categories of Members:ŸOrdinary Members: Fertilizer producers;ŸAssociate Members: Distributors, dealersand other entities which transact business infertilizers, suppliers of plant equipment,materials or services destined for thefertilizer industry, non-fertilizer industryorganizations/companies dealing withnutrients; producers of fertilizer rawmaterials destined for the manufacture ofnon-fertilizer products; manufacturers oforganic materials and/or soil conditioners;entities in the development or constructionphase of fertilizer plants;ŸAf liate Members: Not-for-pro t.g o v e r n m e n t a l o r i n t e r- g o v e r n m e n t a lorganizations and private or public researchinstitutes engaged in work recognized asbene cial to the objectives of theAssociation; international, regional andnational not-for-pro t associations ofentities which are Ordinary members;ŸCorrespondent Members: Retired seniorexecutives of any entity which was a memberof the Association at the time of his/herretirement.Contact us and nd out what membershipcategory you can belong to.International Fertilizer Association- Copyright 201717

CONTACTINTERNATIONALFERTILIZER ASSOCIATION49 avenue d'Iéna,75116 Paris, Franceinfo@fertilizer.orgwww.fertilizer.orgT: 33 1 53 93 05 00F: 33 1 53 93 05 zernewsIFAfertilizers

IFA also grants the IFA Norman Borlaug Award since 1993 to encourage research and extension works that improve crop nutrition performance. IFA has published several books on nutrient management related topics, and contributes to international projects dedicated to the sharing of best management practices. In addition, IFA co-