MOSCOW, July 3, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- A joint project implemented by PhosAgro and the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has been included in the voluntary national review of Russia's achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

The review document, which was prepared by the Analytical Centre for the Government of the Russian Federation in cooperation with the Ministry of Economic Development, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Federal State Statistics Service and other agencies, organisations and companies, will be presented for the first time at a session of the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development of the UN Economic and Social Council, which will be held on 7–16 July.

Russia's voluntary national review reflects the country's achievements in the economic, social and environmental spheres across all 17 SDGs. In addition to a comprehensive analysis of a large body of data for each SDG, the review also provides selected examples of successful sustainable development projects.

One of the these projects, which involves support on the part of Russian business for developing countries under SDG 2 (zero hunger), is PhosAgro's unique project in partnership with the FAO to improve farmers' skills in terms of sustainable soil management and to expand the capacity of national soil laboratories in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Middle East.

PhosAgro became the first Russian company in the entire history of the FAO to be selected to implement a global soil protection initiative. PhosAgro's total funding for the project is USD 1.2 million.

The key objective of the programme is the creation of regional networks of soil laboratories in developing countries, where special attention will be paid to assessing the quality and safety of fertilizers. PhosAgro's primary function in the project is to establish a single global mechanism for promoting technologies and knowledge in the field of sustainable land use based on Russian experience, among other things. This will help farmers, agricultural workers, landowners and anyone else involved in intensive agricultural practices to grow crops in a productive manner without the accumulation of pollutants in the soil.

"PhosAgro has traditionally paid special attention to Sustainable Development Goal No 2 – the issue of world food security – which is especially acute right now because of the pandemic.

"Our company supplies fertilizers that are free of toxic substances and that set standards in terms of their environmental friendliness to our priority Russian market and to another 102 countries around the world, and we are fully aware of our responsibility to make safe, results-oriented agricultural production possible. Therefore, openness and involvement, including in international activities, are important components of our corporate culture," said PhosAgro CEO Andrey Guryev, commenting on the inclusion of PhosAgro's joint project with the FAO in the first voluntary national review of Russia's achievements concerning the SDGs.

The implementation of the project within the framework of SDG 2 is, at the same time, contributing to the achievement of SDG 17 (partnership for sustainable development). This is in line with PhosAgro's long-standing commitment to developing international partnerships and contributing to the implementation of the Sustainable Development Agenda as one of the 36 companies in the world that have been granted LEAD status under the UN Global Compact, a global platform for responsible business.

PhosAgro is also collaborating with UNESCO on the long-term Green Chemistry for Life programme. This project provides financial and scientific support for promising young scientists from around the world engaged in developing advanced technologies based on the principles of green chemistry in order to solve problems related to environmental protection, healthcare, food, improved energy efficiency and the sustainable use of natural resources.

Overall, PhosAgro contributes directly to the achievement of 10 of the 17 SDGs. In accordance with the Company's long-term development strategy to 2025, adherence to the principles of sustainable development is a key priority.

About PhosAgro

PhosAgro is one of the world's leading vertically integrated phosphate-based fertilizer producers in terms of production volumes of phosphate-based fertilizers and high-grade phosphate rock with a P2O5 content of 39% and higher.

The Company is the largest phosphate-based fertilizer producer in Europe (by total combined capacity for DAP/MAP/NP/NPK/NPS), the largest producer of high-grade phosphate rock with a P2O5 content of 39%, a top-three producer of MAP/DAP globally, one of the leading producers of feed phosphates (MCP) in Europe, and the only producer in Russia, and Russia's only producer of nepheline concentrate (according to the RAFP).

PhosAgro's main products include phosphate rock, 50 grades of fertilizers, feed phosphates, ammonia, and sodium tripolyphosphate, which are used by customers in 102 countries spanning all of the world's inhabited continents. The Company's priority markets outside of Russia and the CIS are Latin America, Europe and Asia.

PhosAgro's shares are traded on the Moscow Exchange, and Global Depositary Receipts (GDRs) for shares trade on the London Stock Exchange (under the ticker PHOR). Since 1 June 2016, the Company's GDRs have been included in the MSCI Russia and MSCI Emerging Markets indexes.

More information about PhosAgro can be found on the website: www.phosagro.ru.

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SOURCE PhosAgro