Croda’s commitment to sustainability - actions speak louder than words

Nicola Daniels, Senior Marketing Manager - Global Crop Protection

Nicola Daniels, Global Marketing Manager for Croda’s Crop Protection business, discusses their sustainability commitment and how the progressive actions Croda are taking can support agrochemical companies on their sustainability journeys.

Croda’s Purpose, “Smart science to improve lives” exemplifies our commitment to sustainability. “Smart science” embodies our innovative philosophy and our ability to offer our customers something different and hugely valuable. “Improving lives” describes the positive impact our products and services have in use and how, in our activities, we need to reduce the environmental impact of our actions.

Image 1: Our Purpose, Smart science to improve lives™ is the driving force of everything we do at Croda

By 2030, we are committed to becoming Climate, Land and People positive and to be the most sustainable supplier of innovative ingredients.
 
Climate Positive
 
We are one of the few companies within the speciality chemicals sector to commit to Science Based Targets to limit global warming to 1.5°C above the pre-industrial average, and to become net zero by 2050. Julia Creasey, Group Sustainability Director at Croda explains this further in the video below.

Video 1: Julia Creasey, Group Sustainability Director at Croda explains what it means to have 1.5°C Science Based Target verified

Accelerating the transition to a low-carbon economy, we will not only play our part in meeting climate change objectives as we continue to decarbonise but we will also help our customers to avoid carbon emissions through the benefits in use of our innovative ingredients.

We will increase our use of bio-based raw materials, which absorb carbon from the atmosphere. By combining these efforts, we will enable four times more carbon emissions to be avoided than we emit through our operations and supply chain.

Land Positive

We will increase agricultural land use efficiency, protect biodiversity and ensure food security by continuing to source our bio-based raw materials sustainably and deliver targeted innovation in our crop businesses to improve yields. Our impact will be positive in saving more land than we use. We are already ‘land net zero’ as our range of biostimulants, adjuvants and seed coatings save more land than is used to grow all our bio-based raw materials.

Croda Crop Care has a leading role to play in achieving our Land Positive goals. The video below demonstrates this in more detail.

Video 2: An animation showing what is entailed in our Land Positive commitment

People Positive

We use our smart science to improve the lives of our own employees and people all around the world. We will continue developing ingredients to improve health and wellbeing, provide access to our smart science through the Croda Foundation, and encourage and promote diversity within our organisation. We will continue to innovate to increase our positive impact on society.

Table 1: Summary of our commitment to be Climate, Land and People Possitive by 2030

For detailed information, our full 2020 Annual and Sustainability reports can be downloaded from the Croda website.

For the last 15 years Croda has continually lowered its environmental impact reflecting our ongoing determination to continually reshape our business to meet global challenges.

Specific to the agrochemical industry, Croda Crop Care is using smart science to maximise land productivity, by increasing yield and increasing resilience, whilst protecting soil health and biodiversity. We are investing in innovation projects and partnerships to support crop and seed enhancement in mitigating the impact of a changing climate and land degradation.

The United Nation Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) play a key part in shaping our strategy. Croda has worked with independent partners to validate the importance and relevance of the SDGs for both our whole business and our Crop Care footprint. Although many SDGs have been identified which are positively impacted, five SDGs have been indicated to be influenced most by Croda Crop Care; enhancing efficiency and increasing yield (SDG 2.3 and 2.4 and 12.2, 12.3 and 12.4), in a way that shows care for the environment (SDG 14.1 and 15.5), preferably working together with partners to realise goals (SDG 17.16).

Image 2: These are the five SDGs, validated by an independent partner, that Croda Crop Care can influence the most

Examples of how our innovation is already contributing to sustainable agriculture

Example 1 - Making a difference to African farmers
Plant Impact has produced the world’s first chemical biostimulant foliar spray for cocoa. Distributed by a partner in West Africa, it actively promotes the production and retention of cocoa pods which increases yield potential by up to 40% as well as improving the quality of the crop. This has been proven to make a significant difference to African farmers in terms of the amount of cocoa produced and therefore the amount of income they can generate for themselves and their families.


Example 2 - Lower footprint, identical performance
Croda's ECO range delivers high performance fully renewable ethoxylated products with less impact on the environment. The range provides 100% bio-based non-ionic surfactants for crop protection formulations. 100% renewable and produced using renewable energy, the ECO surfactants have a lower carbon footprint with identical performance to petrochemical-based alternatives. Download the 'Sustainable bio-based surfactants' overview sheet from the Crop Care website to find out more about our ECO range of products.

Example 3 – Microplastic free in seed treatment
There is growing global concern on the topic of microplastic in seed treatment. Incotec develops coatings for seed that have all the benefits of traditional seed coatings, but don't contain any microplastics. We are committed to helping feed a growing population in the most sustainable way and with minimal environmental impact. Our first microplastic-free coatings were launched mid-2020.

For full information on how Croda Crop Care are contributing to sustainable agriculture read our ‘Sustainable Innovation from Seed to Harvest’ literature available on the Croda Crop Care website.

Closing remarks

In close collaboration with our customers and other partners across the supply/food chain, our aim to is have a positive impact on increased yields and efficiency whilst demonstrating environmental consciousness through minimising required resources.

A sustainable future for all is something we are very passionate about and we would be delighted to open up discussions with you on this so that we can achieve your sustainability goals together. To get in touch email cropcare@croda.com or contact your local sales team.