Talk:Nutrients for Life Foundation

Header: Update and Add Relevant Content

Update: Nutrients for Life Foundation’s goal is to provide science-based information that helps educate people about the benefits of fertilizer.” Link [1] is broken. Link [2] is broken

Please add: Foundation provides education materials to educators about soil science. 

Unsubstantiated: “educational arm of the Fertilizer Institute”

Explanation: Although the Fertilizer Institute is one of our major donors, including in-kind contributions, Nutrients for Life Foundation is its own entity. We have thousands of additional individual donors in addition to larger agri-business, fertilizer, and general agriculture companies.

Proposed new content: In 2004, seven fertilizer industry leaders came together to form the Nutrients for Life Foundation. Today, the Foundation boasts individual members from all over the world and is firmly committed to developing a variety of resources and initiatives to educate the public on the vital role plant nutrients plays in all our lives. New link:

Update: "the Fertilizer Education Foundation, Inc.” has been changed to “the Nutrients for Life Foundation" In fiscal year 2010, the group reported $734,597 in revenue.

Outdated information: Link [3] does not state, “The foundation's 2005 IRS report gives as its name "the Fertilizer Education Foundation, Inc. DBA [doing business as] the Nutrients for Life Foundation." In fiscal year 2005, the group reported $1,471,700 in revenue. The IRS report also explains that "office personnel, supplies, services and office space [are] provided by the Fertilizer Institute," and that the foundation has "common board members and shared employees" with the Fertilizer Institute.”

Mission and program areas: Out of date and Incorrect

Updated Mission: “The goal of our Foundation is to provide science-based information that helps educate people about the benefits of fertilizer. Through the development of educational resources and a countrywide outreach campaign, our Foundation informs the public of the role of nutrients in both the production of nutritious, abundant food and the preservation of healthy green spaces.” Proposed new link: Link [4] does not state “We speak on behalf….” Links [5-7] also do not state the information presented.

Unsubstantiated or Outdated: The following information is unfounded on the provided source page (Guidestar): According to the foundation's IRS report, one of its three program areas is "branding," described as conducting a "media audit" of coverage of fertilizers, to "identify media opportunities by better understanding of [sic] interest to key reporters." The foundation spent $113,704 on branding activities in fiscal year 2005. [5] The second program area listed is developing "supplemental science curriculum materials for middle and high school teachers to improve the understanding of plant nutrients and their use in modern agriculture." Expenses in this area were $98,729. [6] Lastly, the foundation made "various tools and resources ... available for use particularly by agricultural retailers and industry members who are seeking to foster a better understanding of fertilizers within their own community." Expenses in this area were $486,149. [7]

Anti-environmentalist rhetoric:

Link [8] is a broken link. This video is no longer used or available on the website or materials. One of the foundation's "educational videos" features "skeptical environmentalist" Bjorn Lomborg and environmental activist turned industry PR consultant Patrick Moore, supposedly "to shed some light about the environmental movement and its agenda." [8]

 Fake news: Unfair

Satellite media tours are commonplace practices in media. Link [9] and [10] are broken links.

Smithsonian exhibit: Broken link and out dated Outdated/broken link [11] Proposed content: The Nutrients For Life Foundation is proud to be the lead sponsor of a dynamic soil science exhibition first-unveiled at the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of Natural History in 2008. The exhibit was on display through January 2010 in Washington, D.C. It traveled to Omaha from September 2010 through December 2010, and is currently in Spokane, Wash. People discover the complex world of soil and how this hidden ecosystem not only supports food production, but nearly every form of life on Earth. Visitors get the dirt on this little-known subject via interactive displays, hands-on models, videos and soil samples. Proposed new link:

Members and Donors: Out of Date and Incorrect From the Foundation’s magazine: Board of Directors William Doyle, PotashCorp Robert Jornayvaz, Intrepid Mining LLC Garrett Lofto, Simplot Steve Packebush, Koch Fertilizer LLC Bart Pescio, Yara North America, Inc. Jim Prokopanko, The Mosaic Company Terry Roberts, International Plant Nutrition Institute Ford West, The Fertilizer Institute Michael Wilson, Agrium Inc. Steve Wilson, CF Industries, Inc.

Proposed new link:

Unsubstantiated: Monsanto is not a donor or member of the Nutrients for Life Foundation. They have never given the Foundation money.

Outdated: All other donors listed on the SourceWatch page, except for Koch Mineral Services and Nitrogen Company, are no longer donors. Source/Link: See page 24 of the Nutrients for Life magazine for last year’s donors: 

Contact Information: Out of Date Harriet Wegmeyer 425 Third Street, SW Suite 950 Washington, DC 20024 

These updates were submitted by J.Buratowski, Nutrients for Life Foundation