FCC launches program to incentivize adoption of 4R Nutrient Stewardship

Farm Credit Canada (FCC) is excited to announce a new Sustainability Incentive Program that will support crop producers who follow Fertilizer Canada’s 4R Nutrient Stewardship program using AgExpert. The program encourages producers to adopt 4R best management practices to help protect the environment without compromising their competitiveness.

The program, announced at the Western Canadian Crop Production Show in Saskatoon, Sask., gives producers time to participate in the program as soon as the 2024 crop year.

Justine Hendricks, FCC President and CEO says this program brings together the innovation, science, and expertise growers can leverage to meet the growing demand for food produced in a profitable and sustainable way.

“We see an opportunity to reward FCC customers who follow Fertilizer Canada’s 4R Nutrient Stewardship Program,” says Hendricks. “Streamlining the data management and verification process through AgExpert creates a simple way for producers to implement climate smart agricultural practices and create the best outcomes for their operations.”

To be eligible for the Sustainability Incentive Program, an FCC customer with active lending must:

• Have a 4R Nutrient Stewardship plan in place.
• Record production activities during the crop year (such as fertilizer applications) in AgExpert Field.
• Have 4R best management practices verified by a 4R designated agronomist with AgExpert Field by the end of the growing season.

Curtis Grainger, FCC Director of Sustainability Programs says before planting, producers will work with their 4R designated agronomist to plan their crop year and then follow the practices outlined by Fertilizer Canada’s 4R Nutrient Stewardship program throughout the crop cycle.

“Using AgExpert, agronomists can verify producers have followed the 4R plan, then following the crop year, producers can use that verification to apply for the Sustainability Incentive Program,” says Grainger.

Fertilizer Canada’s 4R Nutrient Stewardship is a framework of best management practices that follow the right source of fertilizer at the right rate, right time, and right place. Using these practices help producers increase production, farmer profitability, and enhance environmental protection.

Producers who are interested in the 4R Sustainability Incentive Program should connect with a 4R agronomist and prepare ahead of the program’s official opening in May 2024.