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Anglo American secures additional organic certifications for POLY4 fertiliser

10 April, 2024

Anglo American’s multi-nutrient fertiliser product POLY4 is now organically certified in more than 30 regions globally, including the most recent certification from the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA). This marks another important step in the development of the global premium market for polyhalite, the naturally occurring crop nutrient mineral that Anglo American’s Woodsmith mine is being developed to produce in the northeast of England, with first product expected to be delivered to market in 2027.

The demand for more effective and environmentally sensitive fertilisers is expected to increase significantly as farming undergoes a necessary shift towards more sustainable practices, while also meeting demand for better quality food for a growing global population. POLY4 is suitable for widespread commercial use in both traditional and organic farming systems, with organic certification providing valuable assurance in the agriculture marketplace for products that are aligned with these emerging trends.

Tom McCulley, CEO of Anglo American’s Crop Nutrients business, said: “Farming is changing for the better. The agricultural practices of the past need to evolve urgently towards sustainable solutions for the future. Polyhalite ticks a lot of boxes for the future of food production, being well suited to more balanced crop nutrition solutions that can help to improve yields while supporting soil health and reducing harm to the environment. California is a state that is supporting this critical transition by expanding climate smart agriculture through regenerative farming.

“The organic certification in California is particularly important given the state is the largest producer and consumer of organic products in the USAi and grows over a third of the country’s vegetables and nearly three-quarters of the country’s fruits and nutsii. Our POLY4 product is particularly well suited to such high value crops, enhancing both yield and quality, so representing significant additional value to farmers.”

POLY4 has already been recognised by eight organic certification bodies around the world, including the international scheme Ecocert, as well as in the UK, Germany, Netherlands and other parts of Europe, and the US & Canada. Globally, Anglo American has completed almost 1,900 commercial field trials of POLY4 application in 43 countries across 90 crops. Anglo American is working with distributors, retailers, co-operatives, blenders and manufacturers across the food value chain to build greater understanding of the full range of food quality, environmental and ultimately commercial benefits of POLY4, including with universities, NGOs, global research institutions and membership associations.

i California Agriculture Organics Report 2021-22, CDFA, https://www.cdfa.ca.gov/Statistics/PDFs/2022_Organics_Publication.pdf
ii California Agricultural Production Statistics, CDFA, https://www.cdfa.ca.gov/Statistics/

For further information, please contact:

Media Investors
UK UK
James Wyatt-Tilby Paul Galloway
Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected]
Tel: +44 (0)20 7968 8759 Tel: +44 (0)20 7968 8718
Marcelo Esquivel Emma Waterworth
Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected]
Tel: +44 (0)20 7968 8891 Tel: +44 (0) 20 7968 8574
Rebecca Meeson–Frizelle Juliet Newth
Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected]
Tel: + 44 (0)20 7968 1374 Tel: +44 (0)20 7968 8830
Crop Nutrients Michelle Jarman
Nina Harding Email: [email protected]
Email: [email protected] Tel: +44 (0)20 7968 1494
Tel: +44 (0)7929 728596  
Maurice Rankin  
Email: [email protected]  
Tel: +44 (0)7795 483650  
South Africa  
Nevashnee Naicker  
Email: [email protected]  
Tel: +27 (0)11 638 3189  
Sibusiso Tshabalala  
Email: [email protected]  
Tel: +27 (0)11 638 2175  

About Anglo American:

Anglo American is a leading global mining company and our products are the essential ingredients in almost every aspect of modern life. Our portfolio of world-class competitive operations, with a broad range of future development options, provides many of the future-enabling metals and minerals for a cleaner, greener, more sustainable world and that meet the fast growing every day demands of billions of consumers. With our people at the heart of our business, we use innovative practices and the latest technologies to discover new resources and to mine, process, move and market our products to our customers – safely and sustainably.

As a responsible producer of copper, nickel, platinum group metals, diamonds (through De Beers), and premium quality iron ore and steelmaking coal – with crop nutrients in development – we are committed to being carbon neutral across our operations by 2040. More broadly, our Sustainable Mining Plan commits us to a series of stretching goals to ensure we work towards a healthy environment, creating thriving communities and building trust as a corporate leader. We work together with our business partners and diverse stakeholders to unlock enduring value from precious natural resources for the benefit of the communities and countries in which we operate, for society as a whole, and for our shareholders. Anglo American is re-imagining mining to improve people’s lives.

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