Toitu Envirocare is a leader in sustainability verification with its certifications being some of the first in the world to be accredited under ISO 14065.
“Becoming Toitu carbonreduce certified isa huge opportunity for Nufarm to add more value to our customers and end users,” says sustainability lead Debbie Arnold.
To achieve certification, Nufarm measured its emissions for freight, business travel, waste, electricity usage and fuel in vehicles.
“We want to do the right thing not only for our people and customers, but for the environments in which we live and work. Our purpose is to grow a better tomorrow, and agricultural sustainability is integral to this.”
Key carbon reductions made to the New Zealand business in the past three years include replacing diesel forklifts with electric forklifts and reach trucks; transitioning to hybrid cars in the company fleet and installing solar panels to power its Christchurch Distribution Centre.
Nufarm is also drawing sustainable connections with its customers.
“Our sustainability initiative with PGG Wrightson ‘Wright for Waterways’ has been a huge highlight.
“Together, over the past two years, we grew 180,000 manuka trees and supplied these to their growers to plant on-farm or donate to rural communities throughout the country,” Emma Ault, Nufarm marketing manager, says.
In addition, Nufarm’s move to high active ingredient load products, such as Crucial, Kamba 750, Archer 750 and Nail 600 is saving tonnes of plastic packaging and cutting container shipping requirements, when compared to their predecessors.
Becoming Toitu carbonreduce certified means the NZ business will now be audited every year to ensure it continues making progress in reducing its carbon footprint.
This ongoing commitment is part of Nufarm’s greater corporate focus on creating a more sustainable future.
“We are proud to have achieved this certification, and to join the likes of Fonterra, Farmlands, Pamu, Silver Fern Farms and other agri-sector organisations which have gained this internationally recognised certification,” Arnold says.
Globally, Nuseed, the seed division of Nufarm, has established itself as a pioneer in agricultural biotechnology.
It was the first to develop and commercialise plant-based long-chainomega-3 fatty acids from canola, branded as Nutriterra for human health and Aquaterra for aquaculture.
These products provide sustainable alternatives to marine-sourced omega-3s, reducing pressure on wild fish stocks while delivering essential nutritional benefits.
Additionally, Nuseed’s Carinata crop is an advanced bioenergy feedstock specifically developed for producing renewable fuels, including sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).
The oil from Carinata is certified sustainable and works seamlessly with existing liquid fuel infrastructure.
In 2023, Nuseed achieved a significant milestone by harvesting and processing Carinata under a 10-year agreement with BP, marking a step forward in renewable energy solutions.
Looking ahead, Nuseed is actively expanding Carinata production to meet the growing global demand for low-carbon energy sources, further contributing to renewable fuel markets and climate goals.
Globally, Nufarm aims to cut type 1 and type 2 greenhouse gas emissions by 30 per cent by 2030. Domestically, the target is 20 per cent fewer type 1 and 2 emissions by 2027.