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OPN Connect Newsletter 214 · April 22, 2021

Nature Safe Contributing to a Greener Planet


Nature Safe, a brand of Darling Ingredients, serves commercial agriculture and green industry professionals to improve profitability of organic farms.

Nearly 30 years ago, Griffin Industries (which was later acquired by Darling) saw increasing interest and demand for organic fertilizers. As the company looked at the market, it knew its animal proteins could and should be used as an organic fertilizer to build soil health and improve plant performance, so it launched Nature Safe in 1992.

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“During this time, Nature Safe began with a focused effort to get our ingredients organically certified [and] OMRI Listed ... and to set up distribution to make our products more available to better meet the needs of the end user and to support the overall organic market,” said Mike Manning, vice president of organic fertilizer and innovation for Darling Ingredients. 

Nature Safe products contain micro and macro plant nutrients, which feed and stimulate soil microbes and provide needed plant nutrition.

“A healthy, robust soil promotes water retention [and] plant-available nutrients, supporting plant health, growth, and performance,” Manning said. “We make [growers] good growing better. Our products are feed-grade animal and plant-based products. They contain no manure.”

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Nature Safe has three manufacturing and distribution plants strategically positioned around the country. The company supports the LGMA initiatives for safe produce and has documented that its ingredients, manufacturing and production process, procedures, and quality standards meet these requirements.

“As a critical part of the supply chain, we share in the effort and commitment by our growers to produce safe organic produce for the consumer,” Manning said. “Still, state-by-state emerging, changing, and increasing regulations that can and do vary is a constant challenge for a company that operates across the entire US.”

Nature Safe supports the LGMA initiatives for safe produce and has documented that its ingredients, manufacturing and production process, procedures, and quality standards meet these requirements.

That’s why Nature Safe has invested in a full-time regulatory group and quality control group to ensure its products are properly registered, labeled, and meeting or exceeding the varying regulations by state, federal, and independent certifiers.

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“We are introducing a new line of organic liquid fertilizers in 2021 to better meet the organic grower needs,” Manning said. “There is growing interest in conventional ag on how to improve soil health, be more sustainable, and use less synthetic fertilizer. We believe our organic fertilizer is a good fit in regenerative ag. Our products build soil health by feeding soil microbes regardless of the crop.”

“As a critical part of the supply chain, we share in the effort and commitment by our growers to produce safe organic produce for the consumer.” -Mike Manning

The company conducted a limited number of field tests at conventional farms in 2020 and will increase these in 2021, validating that Nature Safe fertilizers can make growing conventional crops more sustainable and more environmentally friendly—and do it profitably.    

“This industry is growing, driven by consumer demand, consumer awareness, and is becoming more mainstream,” Manning said. “To meet today’s US consumer demand for organic foods, a high percentage of organic crop food items are imported. We think more and more organic crops will be—and should be—grown in the US, creating good opportunities for organic crop producers and a better-documented, more reliable supply chain for consumers.”

“We believe our organic fertilizer is a good fit in regenerative ag. Our products build soil health by feeding soil microbes regardless of the crop.” -Mike Manning

Nature Safe has invested heavily in plants, equipment, and qualified people to meet the growing demands and opportunities of the organic market.

“We are growing the Nature Safe brand and contributing to a greener planet,” Manning said. “We have evolved from a small rendering company into the world’s leading innovative developer and producer of sustainable organic ingredients for a growing population. Our unique broad product and service portfolio is active all over the world, customized for high-end markets and local needs.”

“We are growing the Nature Safe brand and contributing to a greener planet.” -Mike Manning

Overall, Nature Safe is committed to helping ensure global food security.

“We believe that nature has significantly more to offer than we currently use,” Manning said. “We believe we can maximize the use of natural resources by continuously improving ourselves, our processes, and our products and how they are used. Our commitment to social responsibility goes beyond compliance. We operate in ways that, wherever possible, leave a positive impact on the environment, food safety, and people’s communities and workplaces. We develop and produce sustainable solutions for our world anchored in transparency, honesty, and entrepreneurship.”

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