Calgary-based Sulvaris will receive up to $1,685,858 in Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada funds to further develop new technology to produce high-efficiency fertilizers made with organic carbon.

The company’s carbon control technology converts various forms of organic waste into high-efficiency fertilizers that are rich in nutrients and soil-building carbon and economical to use in large-scale agriculture, as well as for lawn and plants in commercial and home use. These fertilizers improve on conventional chemical fertilizers by releasing nutrients more slowly. This gives plants the ability to absorb the nutrients as they need them to develop and grow. The more efficient uptake means less unabsorbed nutrients are left in the soil, reducing the risk of them releasing harmful greenhouse gas emissions or contaminating waterways.

Since the release of Canada's Strengthened Climate Plan, the Government of Canada has been working to improve the environmental sustainability of fertilizer. In December 2020, a national target was announced to reduce fertilizer greenhouse gas emissions by 30 per cent below 2020 levels by 2030. A new round of consultations with producer groups on ways to meet the target is being completed this summer, with high-efficiency fertilizers identified as one of the approaches.

"Our commitment to a more circular economy by utilizing by-products from the oil and gas industry and waste biomass from the agriculture and forestry industries is prominent in our strategy to provide solutions to help meet the world's 2050 zero emission goals and increase sustainable food production through the development of our carbon-based products,” says rick Knoll, CEO, Sulvaris. “By developing these products, we can reduce the intensity of GHG emissions as well as contribute to organic carbon in the soil to build healthier and more productive soils."

Source: Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada July 4, 2022 news release