BASF is committed to the long-term sustainability of Canadian farming. That commitment starts by listening to our customers, and listening to consumers who have a voice in any meaningful sustainability initiative. This commitment led to a project we've named Conversations on Sustainability. BASF invited average urban consumers who had questions about the source of their food, to travel across the country and meet some of the people who grow it.

Managing Risk

Consumer: Marie Duggan, Administrator, Tottenham, ON Grower: Curt Gessell, Delisle, Saskatchewan

Curt Gessell shares the plans that are in place to mitigate risk on the Gessell family farm including the choice of crops, insurance coverage and crop protection products and how new seed genetics and crop systems can help minimize risk and preserve yield potential.

Meeting Consumer Needs

Consumer: Ron Schlumpf, Banker, Toronto, ON Grower: Dan Ronceray of Somerset, Manitoba

Grower, Dan Ronceray of Somerset, Manitoba answers consumer questions about product quality in grains and his relationship to the local and international commodity marketplace and the controls that are in place to protect consumers.

Making a Living

Consumer: Detlev & Kathy Kloss, Inventory Control Manager, Whitby, ON Grower: Humphrey Banack, Camrose, AB

Grower, Humphrey Banack of Camrose Alberta discusses input costs and revenue generation on his farm and the role research and technology plays in the sustainability of his profitability.

Farming for the Next Generation

Consumer: Gerry Johnston, Registered Nurse, London, ON Grower: Steve Twynstra, Ailsa Craig, ON

How a third generation grower is using the latest technology to help ensure his 11-year-old son can continue the family’s proud farming tradition. Steve tells Gerry, “I’m envious of that generation. I look at my son and the world’s his oyster.”

Feeding the World

Consumer: Mike Reid, Recent University Graduate, Toronto, ON Grower: Brian Vandervalk, Fort McLeod, AB

What’s required to feed the world? Brian talks to Mike about the importance of soil health in a farm’s sustainability. “True sustainability is soil health for the long run,” he says.

These questions and their answers help to bridge the gap between consumer and grower perceptions of sustainable farming. Sustainability is a key area of importance to our customers. As a leader in agriculture, BASF will continue to work with customers on solutions that matter most to them in operating sustainable farms. Conversations on Sustainability is one example of how we are leading the way.