Moscow – Mikhail Sterkin, PhosAgro’s Deputy CEO for Sales and Marketing, took part in the international BRICS symposium “Climate and Environment-Smart Agriculture”, which was organized by the BRICS Business Council Working Group on Agribusiness, PhosAgro, the Diplomatic Academy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation and the Russian State Agrarian University – Moscow Timiryazev Agricultural Academy, with technical support from the Food and Agriculture Organization’s (FAO) Liaison Office with the Russian Federation. Held as a videoconference, the symposium was part of the BRICS Business Council’s events programme for Russia’s BRICS chairmanship year.
Speakers included Alexander Yakovenko, Rector of the Diplomatic Academy; Vladimir Trukhachev, Rector of the Russian State Agrarian University – Moscow Timiryazev Agricultural Academy and member of the Russian Academy of Sciences; Aghasi Harutyunyan, Deputy Director of the FAO Liaison Office with the Russian Federation; Mikhail Sterkin, PhosAgro’s Deputy CEO for Sales and Marketing; as well as leading scientists from national academies of science and research associations in China, Ethiopia, India, Russia, South Africa and Sudan.
The participants discussed the prospects for developing cooperation in the agricultural sector within the BRICS countries involving the use of state-of-the-art solutions aimed at moving towards sustainable, responsible and climate-smart agriculture. The scientists who spoke presented the latest climate- and environment-smart agricultural technologies developed for the soil and climatic conditions in their respective regions.
As Mr Yakovenko emphasized, the situation surrounding global food security has deteriorated considerably in recent years as a result of geopolitical tensions, the breakdown of supply chains and global warming. Against this background, he said that BRICS countries need to actively share their experiences with sustainable agriculture in order to reduce the impact of negative factors on food systems.
“The way to address the poor state of food security around the world is to use high-quality mineral fertilizers that are free of heavy metals, such as cadmium, lead and mercury – the kinds of fertilizers that are supplied to global markets by Russian companies. It is also necessary to take a close look at best practices in the BRICS countries when it comes to climate- and environment-smart agriculture, which can help mitigate negative trends in terms of our planet’s changing climate,” said Mr Yakovenko.
Mr Trukhachev emphasized the important role of cooperation between science and business in creating sustainable, climate-resilient agriculture: “In the face of acute food security issues, it is more important than ever to consistently and in a cost-effective manner obtain high yields of high-quality crops while posing minimal climatic and environmental risks. And this is where science and business can act as a united front in finding solutions to global problems related to the negative impact of climate change. Today, new solutions are needed – new agricultural technologies that are able not only to minimize the impact of agriculture on the environment but also to increase carbon sequestration and thus mitigate the processes that cause global warming.”
Mr Harutyunyan highlighted the importance of a comprehensive approach to the implementation of sustainable practices that takes into account local conditions: “Those hardest hit by climate change are farmers, but they also have a decisive role to play in finding a solution to the problem. Climate-smart agricultural practices can boost productivity and increase revenues.”
Mr Sterkin noted that PhosAgro, as part of the BRICS Business Council, has been calling for increased cooperation in the development of agricultural technologies that enable carbon sequestration in soils, and he noted that PhosAgro is carrying out its own project in this area.
“The BRICS Business Council’s Working Group on Agribusiness, which PhosAgro has been an active member of for four years already, has stepped up cooperation significantly this year, during Russia’s BRICS chairmanship, when it comes ensuring food security in our countries. In the reality we face today, climate- and environment-smart agricultural production technologies are a priority. We have called for increased cooperation in the development of agricultural technologies that enable carbon sequestration in the soil–plant system.
“We are actively developing agricultural technologies that can minimize the negative effects of climate change on agricultural production. We are implementing our own project to establish a carbon farm – an area designed to monitor and sequester greenhouse gases – in cooperation with the Russian Academy of Sciences and the Government of the Vologda region. In October 2022, the first part of the carbon sequestration site in the Vologda region was set up on an area covering 100 hectares, where about 110 thousand coniferous and deciduous trees were planted. The carbon farm has a sequestration capacity of 0.7 million tonnes of carbon dioxide per year,” said Mr Sterkin.
PhosAgro’s Deputy CEO also highlighted the popularity among farmers of the Company’s digital ecosystem, which includes a tool for calculating doses of mineral fertilizers based on the crops being grown as well as the soil and climatic conditions, a marketplace and the educational platform Pro Agro Lectorium, which, thanks to comprehensive support from BRICS colleagues, is being transformed into an international educational hub.
Speakers included Alexander Yakovenko, Rector of the Diplomatic Academy; Vladimir Trukhachev, Rector of the Russian State Agrarian University – Moscow Timiryazev Agricultural Academy and member of the Russian Academy of Sciences; Aghasi Harutyunyan, Deputy Director of the FAO Liaison Office with the Russian Federation; Mikhail Sterkin, PhosAgro’s Deputy CEO for Sales and Marketing; as well as leading scientists from national academies of science and research associations in China, Ethiopia, India, Russia, South Africa and Sudan.
The participants discussed the prospects for developing cooperation in the agricultural sector within the BRICS countries involving the use of state-of-the-art solutions aimed at moving towards sustainable, responsible and climate-smart agriculture. The scientists who spoke presented the latest climate- and environment-smart agricultural technologies developed for the soil and climatic conditions in their respective regions.
As Mr Yakovenko emphasized, the situation surrounding global food security has deteriorated considerably in recent years as a result of geopolitical tensions, the breakdown of supply chains and global warming. Against this background, he said that BRICS countries need to actively share their experiences with sustainable agriculture in order to reduce the impact of negative factors on food systems.
“The way to address the poor state of food security around the world is to use high-quality mineral fertilizers that are free of heavy metals, such as cadmium, lead and mercury – the kinds of fertilizers that are supplied to global markets by Russian companies. It is also necessary to take a close look at best practices in the BRICS countries when it comes to climate- and environment-smart agriculture, which can help mitigate negative trends in terms of our planet’s changing climate,” said Mr Yakovenko.
Mr Trukhachev emphasized the important role of cooperation between science and business in creating sustainable, climate-resilient agriculture: “In the face of acute food security issues, it is more important than ever to consistently and in a cost-effective manner obtain high yields of high-quality crops while posing minimal climatic and environmental risks. And this is where science and business can act as a united front in finding solutions to global problems related to the negative impact of climate change. Today, new solutions are needed – new agricultural technologies that are able not only to minimize the impact of agriculture on the environment but also to increase carbon sequestration and thus mitigate the processes that cause global warming.”
Mr Harutyunyan highlighted the importance of a comprehensive approach to the implementation of sustainable practices that takes into account local conditions: “Those hardest hit by climate change are farmers, but they also have a decisive role to play in finding a solution to the problem. Climate-smart agricultural practices can boost productivity and increase revenues.”
Mr Sterkin noted that PhosAgro, as part of the BRICS Business Council, has been calling for increased cooperation in the development of agricultural technologies that enable carbon sequestration in soils, and he noted that PhosAgro is carrying out its own project in this area.
“The BRICS Business Council’s Working Group on Agribusiness, which PhosAgro has been an active member of for four years already, has stepped up cooperation significantly this year, during Russia’s BRICS chairmanship, when it comes ensuring food security in our countries. In the reality we face today, climate- and environment-smart agricultural production technologies are a priority. We have called for increased cooperation in the development of agricultural technologies that enable carbon sequestration in the soil–plant system.
“We are actively developing agricultural technologies that can minimize the negative effects of climate change on agricultural production. We are implementing our own project to establish a carbon farm – an area designed to monitor and sequester greenhouse gases – in cooperation with the Russian Academy of Sciences and the Government of the Vologda region. In October 2022, the first part of the carbon sequestration site in the Vologda region was set up on an area covering 100 hectares, where about 110 thousand coniferous and deciduous trees were planted. The carbon farm has a sequestration capacity of 0.7 million tonnes of carbon dioxide per year,” said Mr Sterkin.
PhosAgro’s Deputy CEO also highlighted the popularity among farmers of the Company’s digital ecosystem, which includes a tool for calculating doses of mineral fertilizers based on the crops being grown as well as the soil and climatic conditions, a marketplace and the educational platform Pro Agro Lectorium, which, thanks to comprehensive support from BRICS colleagues, is being transformed into an international educational hub.