Visions - Fall 2008 - 8

Living-Related Products Group Getting Our Hands Dirty With A Healthy Fertilizer Business Living-Related Products Group Grows Successful Business with Organic Farmers W ith environmental awareness once again a factor in today’s lifestyle, the average American consumer now examines more of the products they purchase with a new eye toward price, health AND total impact on the environment. More American consumers now scrutinize their consumables, with more people seeking organic food as an alternative to the traditional farm products. Many Americans consider organically-grown produce as a healthy lifestyle choice as well as a more environmentally-friendly purchasing habit with positive results all around. As organics become more mainstream, the marketplace has reflected this growth in increased sales. According to the U.S. Organic Trade Association, sales of organic food and beverages have grown from $1 billion in 1990 to an estimated $20 billion in 2007, and are projected to reach nearly $23 billion in 2008. Organic food sales are anticipated to increase an average of 18 percent each year until 2010. Although organic foods have steadily gained popularity, the United States Department of Agriculture still holds strict legal guidelines for qualifying as an “organic” food, and the term “organic” may be used only by certified producers. Since 2002, the USDA’s National Organic Program’s guidelines for organic farming have included avoidance of most synthetic chemical inputs such as synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, irradiation, antibiotics and additives, as well as the use of farmland that has been free from chemicals for a number of years — often, three or more. Sumitomo Corporation of America has been utilizing its know-how in the fertilizer industry to capitalize on the popularity of organic food. Marketed by SCOA for use in the U.S. market since 2006, NutriSmart® is a spherical, granular, organic,“active eco-fertilizer.”A patented, yeast-based product certified by the Organic Materials Review Institute (OMRI), NutriSmart® fixes atmospheric nitrogen and converts needed phosphate and potassium in the soil into forms easily accessible to the plant. It is produced by Hong Kongbased CK Life Sciences, a member of Cheung Kong Group, one of the largest conglomerates in Asia. The root structures in the plants on the right were fed NutriSmart® fertilizer and experienced greater root growth and strength in comparison to the plants on the left, which did not. With over 3,000 successful trials and proficient results in major Japanese and American rice fields, NutriSmart®, as an alternative or combined with a conventional fertilization program, can help other crops as well. NutriSmart® recently completed testing in trials with strawberries in California for well-known growers such as Driscoll’s and Well-Pict Berries. “We’re doing quite a bit of organic farming,” said Miles Reiter, Chairman & CEO of Driscoll’s.“Starting out it was slow, but we’ve been working at it for over 13 years. Now it’s become a pretty important part of the business.” Michael Hollister,V.P. for Sales & Marketing at Driscoll’s agreed, stating “Driscoll’s is committed to organic.” The results of the trials were extremely positive concerning Nutrismart®’s effectiveness. Moe Piraiegar, an agronomist and strawberry production specialist was impressed with the results of the trials.“The ability of NutriSmart® to manufacture plant usable nutrients in the soil is not only an important tool for conventional and organic growers, but also a tool to preserve the health of crops, water, soil, and the ecosystem,” he said. “This was our first year of sales after two years of trial,” said Noboru Ogasa, Head of SCOA’s Agri-Commodities and Fertilizer Unit.“We are now able to provide an effective and inexpensive alternative plant nutrients supply for the growers 8 visions Fall 2008

Visions - Fall 2008

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Visions - Fall 2008