·         Sustainable agriculture is key focus of international agricultural symposium in Chicago

·         Eco-Efficiency Analysis will be developed further to show impact on biodiversity and soil health

 

LIMBURGERHOF (Germany) and CHICAGO (USA) – June 9, 2010. How can farmers achieve sustainability? This question will be at the center of an agricultural media summit for industry experts taking place in Chicago from June 8-10.  

 

At the summit, BASF will also announce an extensive new project to further develop its Eco-Efficiency Analysis to incorporate agriculturally relevant factors such as biodiversity, soil health and social impact. The Eco-Efficiency Analysis was developed by BASF to measure the sustainability of products and production processes and is one of BASF’s main tools for implementing its sustainability strategy. The new project will be conducted in collaboration with prestigious partners including the Technische Universität München and ADAS, a UK-based rural development and environmental consultancy.

 

The Eco-Efficiency Analysis enables a comparison of the economic and environmental aspects of products and processes. Importantly, the methodology takes the product’s entire life cycle into account, from raw materials sourcing, to product manufacture, use, and disposal.

 

BASF has now completed the first Eco-Efficiency Analysis for corn, a major feedstock crop that is of central importance for farmers and food supply. Markus Heldt, President of BASF’s Crop Protection division, presented the results: "We analyzed corn production both with and without our fungicide Headline®. The most important result was that farmers achieved higher yields with Headline. However, in addition, they were also able to reduce costs, energy use and resources. In other words, corn farmers can earn more with Headline and protect the environment at the same time."

 

Dr. Peter Eckes, President of BASF Plant Science, agrees that higher yields are a significant factor in improving agricultural sustainability: "That is precisely why we examine the genetic characteristics of crops very closely. We don't just look at the outwardly visible properties - we also investigate which specific genes are involved in each plant function. By using the best genes, we can maximize harvests and thus support farmers to become more sustainable. This also benefits the environment because no additional arable land is needed to achieve higher yields."

 

Media representatives will also be able to explore agricultural issues such as consumer protection, food production and cost effectiveness in panel discussions with industry leaders. The speakers include well-known author, Roger Thurow, a renowned expert on world hunger and sustainable development.

 

More information about the BASF agricultural expert symposium is available on www.agro.basf.com/mediasummit2010. You can access a live broadcast from 8 a.m. Chicago time (CDT) = 15 h central European time (CET).

 

Information about Eco-Efficiency Analysis is available at:

www.basf.com/eco-efficiency and www.agro.basf.com/eco-efficiency

 

 

Photographs will be available at:

www.basf.com/pressefoto-datenbank (German)  Stichwort: Pflanzenschutz Suchbegriffe: Nachhaltigkeit, Headline

www.basf.com/pressphoto-database (English)  Key word: Crop Protection Search term: Sustainability, Headline

 

 

Press photos about BASF agricultural themes in general are available at:

www.basf. com/pressefotos ( German )

www.bas f.com/pressphotos ( English )

 

With sales of €3.6 billion in 2009, BASF’s Crop Protection division is a leader in crop protection and a strong partner to the farming industry providing well-established and innovative fungicides, insecticides and herbicides. Farmers use these products and services to improve crop yields and crop quality. Other uses include public health, structural/urban pest control, turf and ornamental plants, vegetation management, and forestry. BASF aims to turn knowledge rapidly into market success. The vision of BASF’s Crop Protection division is to be the world’s leading innovator, optimizing agricultural production, improving nutrition, and thus enhancing the quality of life for a growing world population. Further information can be found on the web at www.agro.basf.com .

 

Follow us on Twitter: www.twitter.com/basfagro and subscribe via RSS: www.basf.com/rss to our news feed.

 

Source: web of BASF