Today, the world’s farmers are tasked with feeding seven billion people — a number that will increase to nine billion by 2050. The ability to meet this demand over the next 25 years is largely dependent upon the effective use of crop nutrients to help ensure affordable food for all. CF Industries is committed to doing our part to help in this noble pursuit.

Our part consists primarily of providing farmers with nitrogen-based fertilizers that are key to boosting agricultural production in a sustainable and responsible manner. We are one of the largest suppliers in the world of these crop nutrients, based on shipment volume that exceeded 13 million tons in 2014. Yet, given population growth projections, we will need to supply even more volume in the years ahead to help farmers meet demand. This is why today we are investing $4.2 billion in capital projects that will boost our production capacity by roughly 28 percent upon completion in 2016. At that time, we will be able to produce enough nutrients to support crop yields that can sustain more than 250 million people annually.

This operational scope also helps mitigate food supply risks in North America by reducing farmers’ dependence on offshore nitrogen imports, which currently account for 40 percent of North American demand. These imports originate in other parts of the world where economic and political instability can disrupt supply chains. Much of this offshore production is also dependent upon coal-supplied plants with higher energy and carbon emission footprints than our natural gas-supplied plants. Overseas transportation logistics add even more risks, costs and energy consumption.

In addition to their food security benefits, our capacity expansions are delivering other wins. Upon completion, these projects will result in the creation of more than 200 permanent, full-time jobs with salaries up to $85,000 annually. The new plants will also be among the most energy-efficient in the world, further strengthening our ongoing efforts to reduce energy consumption and emissions per unit of production.

Corporate Citizenship

Doing our part for a more sustainable world also means operating an environmentally responsible company and operating in a socially responsible manner. This starts in our own facilities, where in 2014, we achieved our best-ever safety performance that included a serious injury rate that was roughly one-third the industry average. We’re proud to be an employer and neighbor of choice in more than 60 American and Canadian communities where we operate — providing jobs, spurring economic development and supporting good causes.

Beyond our own operations, we promote the responsible distribution and application of our products through our strong support of two important initiatives. ResponsibleAg helps fertilizer storage and handling facilities meet federal regulatory compliance, while the 4R Nutrient Stewardship Program encourages farmers to utilize best practices that maximize nutrient benefits while minimizing environmental impact.

Business Strength

There’s no doubt that our social and environmental responsibilities are best executed on a foundation of fiscal strength. In 2014, we shipped a record amount of product volume, generated $4.7 billion in net sales and returned more than $2.2 billion in cash to shareholders. The year also saw us complete the sale of our phosphate business to The Mosaic Company. More recently, we further strengthened our global nitrogen position by acquiring the outstanding 50 percent interest in GrowHow, which owns and operates two nitrogen production facilities in the United Kingdom.

The ability to do our part for the world ultimately reflects the abilities of CF employees who do their part both at work and in the community on a daily basis. We’re proud and appreciative of their collective efforts. This is an exciting period of expansion for our organization, and the opportunities before us will benefit our employees, our business and our world in significant ways. We look forward to updating you on our progress and appreciate your interest in CF Industries.