RTI International selected to co-host U.S. Center event at COP29

Climate and agriculture experts to address soil health and green fertilizers for climate resilience

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C. — RTI International, a nonprofit research institute and leading international development organization, announced today that Daniel Lapidus, director of sustainable agriculture and food systems at RTI, will participate in a panel discussion at the U.S. Center during the 29th Conference of the Parties (COP29) in Baku, Azerbaijan. 

The event, titled "Advancing Soil Health and Green Fertilizers for Climate, Economic, and Food and Nutrition Resilience," will take place on Nov. 19. RTI is co-sponsoring the panel alongside World Agroforestry (ICRAF), the Coalition of Action 4 Soil Health (CA4SH) and the Coalition of Action for Sustainable Productivity Growth (SPG). Lapidus will represent RTI, speaking about the potential for driving green fertilizer production in select African countries based on RTI research. 

The climate crisis is intensifying global food and nutrition insecurity and degrading ecosystems, highlighting the urgent need for action. This panel discussion will explore innovative approaches to improving soil health and strengthening green fertilizer solutions that strengthen climate mitigation and resilience efforts, enhance food security and nutrition, help restore ecosystems, and drive sustainable growth. 

"Most fertilizer production today relies on ammonia from fossil fuels, generating 500 million tons of CO2 annually,” said Lapidus. “But it doesn’t have to. We can produce ‘green ammonia’ from clean sources, to create low- or zero-carbon fertilizer. The exciting part is that it can be produced anywhere with renewable energy, allowing us to leapfrog conventional, dirtier methods and improve resilience in agricultural sectors in low-income countries while reducing emissions." 

RTI is leading the development of new, integrated green ammonia technologies, funded by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy, including a pilot scale real world demonstration in Minnesota. Recently, RTI funded research to assess the technological and economic viability of green fertilizer production in select African countries, building on the work done in the U.S. and considering each country’s clean energy portfolio and the costs of imported fossil-fuel derived fertilizer. 

The event at the U.S. Center will be live streamed to the U.S. Center website and YouTube page. 

Alyssa Mesich, a senior manager of communications at RTI, will be on site at COP29 to assist with interviews and RTI-led events.  

Learn more about all RTI’s events at COP29

Learn more about RTI's Center for Climate Solutions