SOFIE2 – 2nd Summit of the Organic and organo-mineral Fertilisers Industries in Europe
The 1st SOFIE in 2019, brought together, for the first time ever, the European carbon-based fertiliser sector, and attracted over 125 participants, from industry (two-thirds of participants), as well as regulators, stakeholders and R&D, from 14 European countries and worldwide.
Delayed by Covid, the 2nd SOFIE will centre on how organic and organo-mineral fertiliser products and technologies deliver specific agronomic performance characteristics for farmers’ needs. The event is being co-organised by ESPP, ECOFI, Eurofema and Fertilizers Europe, with the support of the International Fertiliser Society.
“Organic” here means containing organic carbon, as in the EU Fertilising Product Regulation definitions of PFC1A “Organic Fertiliser”, PFC1B “Organo-Mineral Fertiliser” and PFC3A “Organic Soil Improver” (that is, not fertilisers certified for Organic Production). Organic carbon input is increasingly recognised as valuable for soil carbon storage, water retention and nutrient availability in all types of farming.
SOFIE provides a unique opportunity to meet companies, technology suppliers, regulatory experts and other actors in this fast-developing sector. The new EU Fertilising Products Regulation includes organic and organo-mineral fertilisers, opening the European market, but there are challenges in adapting EU legislation to the specificities of organic fertilisers. The EU Fertilising Products Regulation also enables the inclusion of recycled organic nutrients in CE-marked products, subject to input material and fertiliser product quality criteria.