BetterSoil Alliance Rewards Growers for Sustainable Achievements

TAMPA, Fl. (Oct 17, 2021) - Yara North America, Inc. with Heliae^® Agriculture, has launched the BetterSoil Alliance to support the California almond industry in the pursuit of sustainable farming practices to improve water productivity and soil health, while decreasing their carbon footprint. Through the Alliance, sustainably-focused solutions will be put to the test to understand their collective impact on critical issues the almond industry faces including water scarcity, drought and rising temperatures; all which are challenging the long-term viability of the almond industry.

Almond growers and advisors are invited to participate in implementing the solutions through customized crop and soil nutrition programs that will be developed by mid-November. Participants will be eligible to receive a sustainability reward based on water productivity and nitrogen use efficiency (NUE), as well as recognition in the Alliance. Data collected from participating growers’ orchards will be used to better understand the positive impact the solutions implemented in the program can have. Yara North America, Inc. and Heliae® Agriculture will help fund a portion of the sustainability rewards, however, to acknowledge as many growers as possible, the companies are calling on the industry to participate through pledges to help fund the sustainability awards.

“To support the longevity of the California almond industry we are focused on bringing practical solutions that positively impact food production by improving water use productivity and soil health” said Debbie Watts, VP Yara North America. “We know by collaborating with others across the industry; growers, advisors, hullers, processors and food companies for instance, we can achieve more. This is why we have launched the BetterSoil Alliance, with the belief that industry partners will come together and accelerate building out sustainable solutions through discovery and collaboration to address this urgent need.”

Participating growers and advisors will have access to the agronomic expertise of Yara North America, Inc. and Heliae® Agriculture. Additionally, they will receive support in implementing crop nutrition and soil management solutions that include YaraLiva® Calcium Nitrate; produced in Norway and featuring a very low carbon footprint, and PhycoTerra® a superior, nature-based soil microbial food, specifically produced to feed the dormant microbes-including fungi and bacteria. Yara North America, Inc. and Heliae® Agriculture hope the program will help demonstrate these products together synergistically drive almond yield and quality, while improving soil health and structure. Moreover, independent third-party trials show a measurable improvement in water productivity (crop per drop) when YaraLiva® Calcium Nitrate and PhycoTerra® products are used in tandem.

“Improving soil quality serves as the foundation to improving water use that help optimize crop yield and quality”, said Norm Davy, Heliae® Agriculture. “Between the increased consumer demand for almonds and tightening water supply in California, growers need solutions that increase yield and improve soil health and soil structure for future crops.”

To learn more about the BetterSoil Alliance and how you can get involved, visit www.yara.us/bettersoil.

About Yara

Yara grows knowledge to responsibly feed the world and protect the planet. Supporting our vision of a world without hunger and a planet respected, we pursue a strategy of sustainable value growth, promoting climate-friendly crop nutrition and zero-emission energy solutions. Yara’s ambition is focused on growing a climate positive food future that creates value for our customers, shareholders and society at large and delivers a more sustainable food value chain.

To achieve our ambition, we have taken the lead in developing digital farming tools for precision farming, and work closely with partners throughout the food value chain to improve the efficiency and sustainability of food production. Through our focus on clean ammonia production, we aim to enable the hydrogen economy, driving a green transition of shipping, fertilizer production and other energy-intensive industries.

Founded in 1905 to solve the emerging famine in Europe, Yara has established a unique position as the industry’s only global crop nutrition company. We operate an integrated business model with around 17,000 employees and operations in over 60 countries, with a proven track record of strong returns. In 2020, Yara reported revenues of USD 11.6 billion. 

About Heliae® Agriculture

Heliae® Agriculture, a division of Heliae Development LLC, provides innovative microalgal products to the agricultural community. Dedicated experts in the soil and crop science fields, Heliae® Agriculture is focused on delivering regenerative agriculture solutions with its PhycoTerra® product portfolio. PhycoTerra® branded products are sourced from nature and work to improve overall soil microbial health, structure, water productivity, and nutrient use efficiency, which helps to increase crop yields sustainably for the planet, farmers, and consumers. Learn more about how PhycoTerra®’s pasteurized microalgal products will help achieve your regenerative agriculture objectives at www.phycoterra.com.

Media Contact:

Allison Stahl, Yara North America
Tel.: 813-222-3832
E-mail: allison.stahl@yara.com

Lisa Scebbi, Heliae Agriculture
Tel.: 303.916.0374
E-mail: LScebbi@heliae.com