Yara CEO's Green Visit in China: We Cannot Achieve a Nature Positive Food Future Without China

SHANGHAI, May 10, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- As a leading global crop nutrition company founded in Norway in 1905, Yara is playing an active role to support agriculture development in China and share our crop nutrition knowledge with agrifood stakeholders here since we opened our first China office in 1972.

Aligned with our ambition of "Growing a Nature-Positive Food Future," Yara China has launched its "In China for China" strategy, providing a clear roadmap for us to support the food value chain sustainability, agricultural green transformation, and farmer prosperity of China.

Svein Tore Holsether, CEO of Yara International, recently concluded a visit to China aimed at reinforcing this commitment and fostering further collaboration in the sustainability and green transformation of the food value chain with Chinese partners.

China, a major fertilizer consumer and a global leader in renewable energy and green technologies, plays a crucial role in achieving a nature-positive food future, as emphasized by Mr. Holsether during his visit.

Yara's bond with China spans over a century, marked by more than 120 years of presence and 52 years of active operations. This legacy is underscored by our network of 3 offices, 1 digital hub, and 1 production site in China.

To realize this vision, Yara integrates its expertise in low-carbon fertilizer technology and products, digital solutions, and knowledge of crop nutrition and soil health into China's agricultural decarbonization and green transformation efforts. In line with this commitment, we opened our first fertilizer plant in Anhui, established the China Digital Hub in Shanghai, and prioritized China as the first batch of markets for launching YaraAmplix Bio-stimulant products. Further initiatives are underway.

In this journey, private and public cooperation is crucial. Mr. Holsether met senior officials from Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs and the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade to see how Yara contributes and supports China agriculture green and low-carbon transition.

Mr. Holsether witnessed the signing ceremony of Memorandum of Understanding with GDTH to enhance cooperation in digital agriculture and sustainability. He dived the discussions with other value chain partners including Syngenta China and HDL to jointly promote agrifood green transformation in China.

Additionally, he visited an Agro-Services Paddy Farm, exchanging insights with farmers about the benefits of professional agricultural services and technology implementation in increasing their crop yield, quality, and income. Yara is looking forward to contributing to this emerging agriculture model in China.

With 2024 marking the 70th anniversary of the establishment of the diplomatic relations between China and Norway, Yara, as a Norwagien company, plans to deepen collaborations across public and private sectors in China, contributing to high-quality development in Chinese agriculture and the economy.

About Yara International ASA

Yara's mission is to responsibly feed the world and protect the planet. We pursue a strategy of sustainable value growth through reducing emissions from crop nutrition production and developing low-emission energy solutions. Yara's ambition is focused on growing a nature-positive food future that creates value for our customers, shareholders and society at large and delivers a more sustainable food value chain. To drive the green shift in fertilizer production, shipping, and other energy intensive industries, Yara will produce ammonia with significantly lower emissions. We provide digital tools for precision farming and work closely with partners at all levels of the food value chain to share knowledge and promote more efficient and sustainable solutions. 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. With 18,000 employees and operations in more than 60 countries, sustainability is an integral part of our business model.

About Yara Africa & Asia (YAA) 

With its headquarters in Singapore, Yara Africa & Asia (YAA) is one of Yara's three regional geographic operating units. YAA and its team of 2,000 employees support an extensive and diverse region of 22 market economies, including China. YAA works closely with in-country, regional, and global stakeholders – including policymakers, commercial and smallholder farmers, retailers and channel partners, and NGOs to identify how the company can best support priorities around food security, farmer livelihoods, sustainability, and circular economy across the food value chain. 

With global production capacity and product innovation, digital technology across five digital farming hubs – three of which are in Africa and Asia (Singapore, Shanghai, and Bangalore) – Yara Africa & Asia is supporting millions of farmers to grow our food sustainably. 

About Yara China

Yara is celebrating its 52^nd anniversary in China this year, having opened its first office in Hong Kong in 1972, and a second office in Guangzhou in 1993. To better serve the needs of Chinese farmers and the nutrition of the Chinese people, Yara established its China regional headquarters in Shanghai in 2010 and established a regional data farming and innovation center in Shanghai in 2021. This is only one of four such regional digital hubs for Yara globally.