An analysis of 45 of the world’s largest food companies, worth a combined $2.6 trillion, reveals that one-third of these companies fail to acknowledge fertilizer-related risks entirely, according to Planet Tracker’s latest report, Food Giants and Fertiliser Risk.
“While there is growing awareness of the environmental risks posed by synthetic fertilizers, our findings expose a significant lack of transparency among the biggest global food system players. We remain a long way from seeing sustainable fertilizer use across the food system. Without comprehensive disclosures, investors and stakeholders are left in the dark about the true scale of these risks and the actions being taken to mitigate them," says Emma Amadi, food and land use Lead at Planet Tracker.
Key takeaways:
- The report found two-thirds of companies demonstrate some awareness of fertilizer risks, and most fail to provide detailed assessments of the impacts of fertilizer misuse in their own operations and value chains, such as the financial costs of fertilizer overuse.
- The report highlights that timely interventions could reduce synthetic fertilizer use by 70% by 2050, yet very few companies consistently publish fertilizer risk disclosures.
- Food manufacturers are disclosing more about fertilizer risks than food producers, who directly use fertilizers. However, when food producers do report, they offer more comprehensive information than manufacturers.
- Many companies provide only superficial risk assessments. Company disclosures most frequently discuss the environmental risks related to the impact that fertilizer production and/or use has on external stakeholders but fail to disclose how this could impact their own operations and supply chains.
- Companies are beginning to understand key risks and impacts of fertilizer misuse, but discussion of solutions remains limited.
