Feeding A Growing Population

Nutiriton and Health are vital to a growing population. Over 26 percent of the global population battles food insecurity¹ and over 820 million people are chronically undernourished. At the same time 33 percent of food produced² is wasted. That equates to over $1 trillion per year. To fight world hunger, we must find ways to sustainably produce more food.   

Balchem’s vision is simple: To make the world a healthier place. Meeting global needs for health sustainably? Not quite as simple. Our mission as a global nutrition and health company is to deliver trusted innovative and science-based solutions to customers globally. Metalosate products contribute to this mission in several ways.  

Increasing Shelf Life

It has been said that there is enough food to meet global needs. Unfortunately, fruits and vegetables can spoil during any part of the supply chain, meaning distribution continues to be a challenge. Balchem has been able to develop some tried and tested ways to increase shelf life which helps get more healthy food to consumers. Calcium, manganese and boron, particularly, are used in a full program to increase shelf life. Metalosate Calcium has also been shown to increase shelf life when used as a post-harvest application. Providing these solution means getting more food to people to maintain healthy nourishment.  

Higher Yields

Balchem Plant Nutrition agronomists have researched foliar fertilizers and their effects in hundreds of crops in various climates and situations. When applied appropriately, Metalosate can deliver higher yields, superior quality, greater potential and more. This can be illustrated in corn. Applying Zinc, the precursor to auxins, before tasseling, can increase the potential number of grains per ear. If that opportunity is missed, there is no way to make up for it in later growth stages. This same principle can be applied to other grains, fruit, vegetables, and nuts. Other benefits of Metalosate Products may be increased shelf life, better pack outs, larger fruit/vegetables, greater brix, or better fruit set. 

Hardier Plants

Amino acids are the building blocks of protein. All Metalosate products contain amino acids. These also act as a protectant against abiotic and biotic stress, this includes drought, excessive heat, pest pressure, and more. When plants encounter stress, their ability to maintain growth is hampered. When amino acids feed the plant, they can better tolerate that stress.  

Plants need 16 key nutrients to maintain proper balanced health. Healthier plants are hardier and more resistant to outside stress. These minerals can reach the plants more effectively by penetrating their protective barrier when applied via Metalosate Amino Acid Chelates. That means hardier plants with better balanced nutrition.  

In 1977 Dr. Harvey Ashmead, the pioneer behind Metalosate products, stated in his address to the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations, “Working together, helping one another, perhaps we can end the cry of a hungry child. We can, and I believe we should, work together to make good human nutrition universal, thus promoting good health, and therefore happiness, the most precious possessions known to man.”³ Balchem continues to make that vision a reality today and together we can feed people more effectively.  

_{1 – United Nations Report, 2019, accessed June.30.2022
2- National Geographic The Future of Food, accessed 3.14.22 
3- Ashmead, H.H., “The Starving World,” Paper presented at FAO, Rome, Italy, June 5, 1977}

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