What is product stewardship?

Performance summary: What is product stewardship? Product stewardship might be described as the "next step" in Safety, Health and Environmental (SHE) management, a step that broadens SHE management beyond the factory gate to include wider issues such as security. In many respects, it is about putting into place responsible business management processes across a product's lifecycle. In this day and age, we can no longer ignore the role that fertilizers play in modern agriculture.  It is now widely-acknowledged that without fertilizers, mankind would be unable to feed an ever-increasing and more demanding population. Moreover, governments and modern societies are becoming more demanding of business and industry – and it is becoming increasingly clear that industry should take greater responsibility not only for how its products are produced, but also for how they are developed, sourced, stored, transported and used. In some parts of the world, these processes are already regulated, while in others their regulation is pending or is currently under review. Nevertheless, global fertilizer producers can stay one step ahead of regulation with proactive product stewardship management. As a demonstration of the commitment to acting as good global citizens, IFA members have already signed up to certain safety, health and environmental manufacturing standards – such as the IFA SHE Principles. Now, through the industry-driven Protect & Sustain initiative, IFA members are looking to roll this commitment out to every aspect of the product lifespan.