OTTAWA, ON – Canadian agri-retailers and their accredited professional staff play
an integral role in supporting growers to achieve productivity goals for safe and
nutritious food. With sustainability, environmental stewardship and water quality in
the Great Lakes also at the forefront of Canadian conversation, growers in Ontario
are turning to their agri-retailers for ways to reduce their impacts while maintaining
yields and profitability.
With the launch of the new Ontario 4R Certification program, a toolkit has been
created to help agri-retailers align their businesses with the principles of 4R Nutrient
Stewardship – a globally-recognized Canadian-made program that encourages
growers to use the right source of fertilizer at the right rate, right time and in the right
place.
Developed by 4R Ontario and facilitated by Fertilizer Canada, 4R Certification is a
voluntary program that allows agri-retailers to solidify their commitment to
sustainable agriculture through 4R Nutrient Stewardship via a third-party audit of 37
standards.
“The launch of the 4R Certification program in Ontario represents a strengthened
commitment by agri-retailers to environmental stewardship to improve water quality
in the Great Lakes,” said Dave Buttenham, CEO of the Ontario Agri-Business
Association. “The unified efforts of 4R Ontario and Fertilizer Canada have created
this opportunity to advance Ontario growers as leaders in sustainable agriculture.”
Becoming a 4R Certified agri-retailer takes just four steps:
1. Learn More About 4R Certification: The 4R Certification program verifies
alignment with 4R Nutrient Stewardship through a third-party audit of 37
standards, as outlined in the Standards Manual resource included within the
toolkit.
2. Gather the Required Evidence for Your 4R Certification Audit: The
resources included in the toolkit will help agri-retailers prepare for their 4R
Certification Audit and become 4R Certified.
3. Book Your 4R Certification Pre-Audit: The 4R Certification Pre-Audit is a
training session, offered by Warriner Ag, that allows agri-retailers to
participate in a trail run of the audit process and learn more about the 37
standards.
4. Schedule Your 4R Certification Audit: Agri-retailers can now schedule their
official 4R Certification Audit – the last step to becoming 4R Certified.
Fertilizer Canada offers the program as a better measure of performance to address
economic, environmental and social considerations. Further, food companies and
sustainable supply chain initiatives recognize the value of the 4R Nutrient
Stewardship framework to assist growers in accessing new markets for their
products and realize the vision of moving from the world’s fifth to its second largest
agriculture exporter.
“4R Nutrient Stewardship is quickly gaining recognition with decision makers,
agriculture groups and growers as the gold-standard for on-farm nutrient
management for stewardship in the Great Lakes basin,” said Garth Whyte, President
& CEO of Fertilizer Canada. “The framework has been identified by the International
Joint Commission as an indicator of water quality, encouraging farmers to adopt 4R
practices to reduce nutrient losses. Getting agri-retailers 4R Certified is the first step
in expanding the reach of 4R Nutrient Stewardship to Ontario growers.”
By aligning their businesses with 4R Nutrient Stewardship and by becoming 4R
Certified, agri-retailers are also helping to quantify the advancement of sustainable
agriculture in Canada. Acres advised by 4R Certified retailers are counted toward
Fertilizer Canada’s goal of capturing 20 million acres under 4R Nutrient Stewardship
by 2020.
“Capturing 20 million acres across Canada under 4R Nutrient Stewardship
represents one quarter of our farmland being managed sustainably,” Whyte said. “By
reaching this goal, we will ensure Canada remains a leader in on-farm environmental
stewardship.”
For more information, or to find out how to become 4R Certified, visit
www.4rcertified.ca.
Source : Fertilizer Canada