Cultivating Transparency: Analysing Sustainability Risk Disclosure in the Crop Protection and Fertiliser Sectors

Fertiliser and crop protection companies are central to global food production. However, there is growing recognition that the sector is exposed to a range of sustainability related risks. These range from water pollution and eutrophication to biodiversity impacts, greenhouse gas emissions and toxic impacts on human health. These risks are attracting increased regulatory scrutiny, reputational risk and consumer pressure.

In this report, Planet Tracker used large language models to analyse over 1,900 public documents from 20 of the largest fertiliser and crop protection producers globally assessing how effectively they disclose sustainability-related risks to investors and other stakeholders.

Key findings:

• Disclosure varies widely across risk areas.
• Water pollution is well covered, but issues like eutrophication and soil fertility are often overlooked.
• More immediate or tangible risks, such as those linked to litigation or regulation, are discussed more consistently than longer-term or less tangible risks.