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Preamble

Guided by the imperative of sustainable intensification of agriculture to meet the nutritional needs of 9.6 billion people by 2050, we the undersigned non-governmental organizations declare that advancing 4R science, research, knowledge transfer and metrics for crop nutrition will support achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and Climate Smart Agriculture.

Definition

We support 4R Nutrient Stewardship:

1. As defined by the principles of Right Source, Right Rate, Right Time, Right Place established by the International Plant Nutrition Institute in 4R Plant Nutrition, A Manual for Improving the Management of Plant Nutrition, 2013.
2. As branded under the 4R Nutrient Stewardship Identity Standards Reference Guide
3. As supported by the International Fertilizer Association in the document The Global “4R” Nutrient Stewardship Framework for Developing and Delivering Fertilizer Best Management Practices, May 2009
4. As instructed by the American Society of Agronomy in a series of five articles under the theme of “Know Your Fertilizer Rights” which appeared in Crops & Soils magazine, a publication of the American Society of Agronomy. The articles focused on the concepts behind fertilizer best management practices and increasing understanding of 4R nutrient stewardship. 2009

Commitment

We further declare our commitment to:

• Demonstrating sustainable nutrient management under 4R Nutrient Stewardship through balanced economic, social and environmental goals of our stakeholders, including farmers – especially smallholders and women — consumers, food processors, researchers, conservationists, governments, development agencies, industry members and communities.
• Supporting 4R Nutrient Stewardship Best Management Practices which align with the principles of Climate Smart Agriculture and contribute to the United Nations key deliverables for 2030.
• Fostering the science and research required to ensure that 4R Nutrient Stewardship can deliver the metrics required to provide all stakeholders evidence of the value and efficacy of this approach.
• Embracing partnerships with a wide range of stakeholders that share our aims.
• Increasing production/profitability for farmers while enhancing environmental protection and improving sustainability through 4R Nutrient Stewardship
• Adapting the 4R Nutrient Stewardship framework to boost smallholder farmers’ yields and incomes while improving environmental sustainability.

The global community has a unique opportunity to take advantage of advancements made under 4R Nutrient Stewardship and to develop goals and indicators that balance environmental and economic performance.

Background

• Simply put, fertilizer is food for plants. It is responsible for nearly half of the world’s food.
• Environmental stewardship and sustainability are not new ideas for the fertilizer industry, nor for farmers who have long embraced best management practices (BMPs) on their farms, yards and business operations.
• As we move forward, it is increasingly important to demonstrate our successes in measurable ways and also to identify areas of potential improvement.
• The fertilizer industry is committed to the use of the 4R Nutrient Stewardship system (Right Source @ Right Rate, Right Time and Right Place®) to minimize impact on the environment by embracing the economic, social and environmental goals.