Critics
Primarily due to environmental and safety concerns, modern agriculture's use of commercial fertilizers is under pressure.
PotashCorp has responded in several ways:
- Since some concerns are based on misconceptions and inaccurate information, it has programs to educate the public and its critics on the benefits and the facts (versus the myths) about fertilizer. These include brochures, CDs, website postings and support for The Fertilizer Institute's Nutrients for Life Foundation and its educational component.
- The company recognizes that environmental protection cannot focus only on production processes, but must cover the product lifecycle. Its sustainability initiatives are responding accordingly. For example, since excessive fertilizer use may result in environmental harm, it educates users of its products on proper application, stressing the need to avoid using more than is necessary.
- To help further scientific understanding of the soil-plant-environment relationship, PotashCorp has endowed a new masters program in plant biology and conservation offered jointly by Northwestern University and the Chicago Botanic Garden. The three-year commitment to fund a new Soil Science position supports research into how prairie grass plantings affect the soil and the carbon cycle.
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