AgBalance – new method to assess sustainability in agriculture

After two years in development, AgBalance, BASF’s holistic method for assessing sustainability in agriculture, received independent assurances this autumn from three global expert agencies: The TÜV SÜD, DNV Business Assurance and NSF International. AgBalance is a comparative lifecycle analysis that assesses sustainability in all three dimensions: economy, ecology and society. With AgBalance, BASF has developed a unique method that can calculate scenarios and offer potential solutions to increase sustainability in farming. 
 
New Strategic Unit – Sustainability and Product Stewardship

One of the first major initiatives following the 2009 strategic shift was a new global unit dedicated solely to sustainability and product stewardship. The unit is responsible for creating and maintaining a global network that can drive sustainability and product stewardship concepts throughout the organization. One of the team’s first priorities is to launch AgBalance. Team members have been working closely with regional associates and business partners on initial studies. The unit will continue to integrate AgBalance into BASF’s business activities. 
 
Functional Crop Care – new pillar for resource and stress management

To improve marketable yield and agricultural sustainability even further, BASF is also looking beyond the boundaries of traditional crop protection products and methods. A new unit, called Functional Crop Care, is tasked with developing new and better ways to help farmers manage resources and reduce crop stress, bringing clear environmental and yield benefits.

This new global unit, which builds on BASF’s Pioneering work in the area of plant health, focuses on three main product clusters: water management, plant health and nitrogen management. It relies on BASF’s Knowledge Verbund and long tradition in the fields of chemistry and agronomy to offer innovative solutions to growers and agricultural professionals, such as improving a crop’s use of nutrients and water and reducing plant stress of drought or heat. BASF expects innovative solutions from this new unit to make a positive contribution to profitability by 2015. 
 
Highlights from BASF Plant Science

BASF Plant Science expects to become the first company to bring products with yield traits jointly with its partners to market, thus contributing to the sustainability of agriculture.

BASF Plant Science is also involved in trait development for products with an enhanced nutritional value. The most recent example focuses on heart healthy EPA/DHA omega 3 long chained fatty-acids in canola plants. An agreement signed with US-based Cargill, the market leader in vegetable oil, trading and application, will open up new applications to provide customers with a convenient and easily available source of EPA/DHA. First products containing oils from EPA/DHA omega 3 canola plants are expected to hit the market by the end of the decade.

BASF Plant Science’s unique technology platform is a key feature that enables it to join forces with market leaders like Monsanto, Bayer CropScience or KWS and cover the major crops. This platform is based on phenotyping and metabolite profiling of plants, and has delivered many promising lead genes for various yield and stress pipeline projects.