In a significant move towards sustainability, Bindewald & Gutting Milling Group and Harry-Brot have partnered with Yara to implement environmentally friendly fertilizer. This collaboration aims to reduce CO2 emissions in cereal cultivation, helping to mitigate the environmental impact of bread and baked goods production.
Yara’s ‘green’ fertilizer is made using renewable energy sources like wind, hydropower, and solar energy. While its composition is similar to conventional fertilizers, the production method is much greener. The fertilizer will be applied to an area of approximately 1,600 hectares starting from the 2023/24 growing season.
The partnership between Bindewald & Gutting Milling Group, Harry-Brot, and Yara allows for a comprehensive assessment of the carbon footprint of grain production. Michael Gutting, managing partner of Bindewald & Gutting Milling Group, emphasizes their long-standing commitment to sustainable practices. Harry-Brot will then turn the flour supplied by Bindewald & Gutting Milling Group into baked goods, completing the entire value chain from raw materials to store shelves.
Marco Fleischmann, managing director of Yara GmbH & Co. KG, emphasizes the importance of this collaboration as the first step towards decarbonizing agriculture in Germany. He urges all stakeholders, including politicians, to actively participate in the green transformation of agriculture.
Sara Ekström, director of Green Fertilizer at Yara International, acknowledges that transitioning to a decarbonized food chain may lead to higher costs. However, she believes that these costs can be shared across the value chain or with consumers, ensuring that farmers are not solely burdened with the extra expenses. Moreover, Yara does not anticipate a significant increase in the overall cost of food, as estimated by the World Economic Forum.
With increasing awareness of climate change, consumers are ready for greener food and drinks. A study commissioned by Yara revealed that German consumers are willing to pay more for food produced with reduced fossil fuels. By using green fertilizer, the carbon footprint of grains can be reduced by up to 30%, offering consumers sustainable and climate-friendly food.
Yara is also working on expanding its geographical presence through its clean ammonia business, with plans for global availability of green fertilizers through a third-party verified methodology.
