Food and drink firms urged to improve fertiliser transparency

FOOD and drink companies are not disclosing adequate information about the risks of synthetic fertiliser in their supply chains, according to a recent report.

Analysis by the green finance think tank Planet Tracker found that a third of the world’s largest food and drink companies have not disclosed any information since 2018 about the risks created by synthetic fertiliser in their supply chains. The study examined more than 5,000 corporate filings from the world’s 45 biggest food and drink companies by market share, collectively worth US$2.6trn, between 2018 and 2023.

Synthetic fertilisers are responsible for 5% of global greenhouse gas emissions and contribute to nitrous oxide air pollution. They can also cause harmful algal blooms in freshwater and marine ecosystems. However, the latest analysis found that a third of the largest food and drink companies have not “indicated risk awareness” related to fertiliser misuse in their supply chains.

Planet Tracker analyst Emma Amadi said: “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.”

Planet Tracker called for food producers to publish plans to reduce synthetic fertiliser use by 70% by 2050, and for all companies in the food and drink industry to disclose supply chain emissions data from fertiliser use.