Roy, president and chief executive officer of the International Fertilizer Development Center (IFDC) in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, has spent more than 30 years fighting the global war on hunger. His weapon against the formidable problem is NPK, which sounds a lot more intimidating than what the acronym represents—nitrogen (N), phosphorous (P), and potassium (K)—the essential elements of fertilizer. These three nutrients combine with about 20 other secondary or “trace” minerals, such as copper, iron, manganese, zinc, and boron, to form the right combinations of nutrients required for plants to grow, flourish, and produce viable feedstock.
“About half of the world’s population is alive today because of increased food production fueled by mineral fertilizers,” Roy says, who joined the IFDC in 1978 as a chemical engineer and special projects engineer. Over the years, Roy has earned respect as one of the world’s leading experts on fertilizer technologies and solutions. In 1992, he was promoted to his current position of president and CEO of IFDC.
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IFDC was established in 1974 on the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) Reservation in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, to address global food security challenges through improved use of fertilizers and related technologies. Originally founded as a private, nonprofit corporation, IFDC now holds the designation of a “Public International Organization,” which was granted in 1977 through a presidential decree by Jimmy Carter, Cls ʻ46. This designation allows IFDC to receive widespread support, cooperation, and backing of the world community for which it was created and has contributed greatly to the organization’s success over the years.
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