Features – Ocp Nutricrops Fertilizer Use

What is happening?

Phosphate is the natural source of phosphorus, one of the three key plant nutrients alongside nitrogen and potassium.
As the custodian of 70% of the world’s phosphate, the OCP Group, through its subsidiary OCP Nutricrops, is committed to being a trusted and reliable global supplier of phosphate-based plant nutrition solutions.
OCP has always been compliant with market regulations, including heavy metal levels, in addition to being a strong advocate of safe and responsible fertiliser application and use.
We now only produce fertilizers which contain less than 20 mg/kg of P₂O₅ of cadmium.
This means our products are far below the most stringent cadmium content thresholds regulations including in the EU (60mg of cadmium per kilogram) and other markets including the US (i.e. the state of Oregon has a threshold of 750mg of cadmium per kilogram).
This means OCP’s products adhere to the EU’s voluntary labelling scheme for ‘low cadmium content’ and boost OCP’s competitiveness in this market over the long term.

Cadmium is a trace heavy metal which occurs naturally in phosphate rock (and in particular sedimentary phosphate rock where 85% of the world’s phosphate is sourced from, including that found in Morocco), which in turn causes them to be present in phosphate-derived products such as fertilizer.
Scientific studies have sought to identify the extent to which phosphate fertilisers might be contributing to cadmium content in the soil and the evidence is very clear: the presence of cadmium in soils is primarily the result of natural sources, industrial activity [metallurgy, mining and industrial waste disposal] and urbanisation – and not as a result of fertilizer application.
Given the breadth of OCP Group’s global operations, we have met all the regulations in the markets we operate in, which includes the lowest global threshold in the EU.
As a farmer centric company, we will continue to work to ensure that our products are recognised as taking account of the priorities and preferences of the end consumer.
As such, we have taken the strategic decision to invest in technology that enables us to reduce our cadmium levels to far below the regulatory thresholds.

It was very important that this extra step would not result in higher costs to consumers of our products (farmers) and that we can offer this lower cadmium product to all our customers across the world.
This breakthrough is the result of a multi-year R&D program, mobilizing a total investment of €/$60 million to develop and deploy a large-scale industrial decadmium removal process.
Starting in 2026, these processes will not only eliminate cadmium, but also capture and store it for industrial recovery, thus fully aligning with a circular economy approach.
The group is continuing to further explore recovery and controlled storage options.
By taking this step, we ensure that we can reliably provide our products to our customers in all the markets where we operate and demonstrate our continued commitment to investing in quality control and production processes to enable continued improvements in our products.

OCP has always strictly adhered to the regulations of the markets it sells into and will continue to support a farmer-centric approach towards business and regulation.
We strongly believe that regulation for plant nutrition products should be science-based and take into account the sustainability of plant nutrition products alongside regional and global food security pressures, economic competitiveness, and farmer livelihoods.
In addition to regulating inputs, OCP supports the implementation of science-backed policies and practices which can significantly reduce the absorption and accumulation of trace metal elements – including cadmium – in the soil. These include:
- Good agricultural practices, including conservation agriculture techniques such as soil cover, reduced tillage, and the use of organic amendments.
- Applying fertilizers according to the principles of the 4Rs helps maintain optimal soil nutrient levels, preventing both over-saturation and deficiencies.
- Avoiding excess nitrogen in the soil, as overapplication of nitrogen impacts the pH of soils and increases its solubility to trace elements.
- Planting crops which have a low capacity to absorb these elements, such as legumes.
- Ensuring that only uncontaminated and/or treated water is used for irrigation.

Closing yield gaps is the most effective way to meet future food security requirements and indigenous nutrient sources are often insufficient and / or farmers lack access to the fertilisers needed to add life to their soils. When applied correctly, phosphate enables farmers to protect and improve their soils while increasing productivity and income. We are committed to ensuring famers have reliable access to customized nutrients, protected from global supply issues or market shocks. We will continue to evolve our products to ensure we are competitive and to contribute further towards strengthening food security and promoting sustainable agricultural practices.