TFI’s VACI Program Expands Carbon Intensity Methodology to Key Ammonia-Derived Fertilizers, Launches Public Comment Period

05 February 2026, Arlington: “The new guidance moves VACI from concept to practical application for today’s nitrogen products market,” TFI president and CEO Corey Rosenbusch said. “Farmers, retailers, food companies, and industrial consumers are all asking for credible, verifiable data to support lower-carbon supply chains. Other certification programs are years away, but our VACI methodology delivers transparency and trust that will inform today’s markets.”

The Fertilizer Institute (TFI) today announced the release of the second issue of the Verified Ammonia Carbon Intensity (VACI) Calculation Methodology, marking a major expansion of the program to include nitric acid, ammonium nitrate (AN), urea, and urea ammonium nitrate (UAN)—the primary forms in which ammonia is sold and used in agriculture and industrial processes today.

First launched in December 2024, VACI is the first program designed specifically to verify and transparently communicate the carbon intensity of ammonia produced for fertilizer and industrial use. The updated methodology introduces a new appendix that allows producers to apply a Product Carbon Footprint (PCF) approach to ammonia-derived products, extending verified carbon intensity from ammonia production through downstream fertilizer manufacturing.

“The new guidance moves VACI from concept to practical application for today’s nitrogen products market,” TFI president and CEO Corey Rosenbusch said. “Farmers, retailers, food companies, and industrial consumers are all asking for credible, verifiable data to support lower-carbon supply chains. Other certification programs are years away, but our VACI methodology delivers transparency and trust that will inform today’s markets.”

Under the VACI program, producers can issue statements of verified carbon intensity for specific batches of product, including both the carbon intensity score and verified volume. The updated methodology provides greater transparency to buyers, enabling those same verified statements to apply to ammonia-derived fertilizers and nitrogen products and helping align fertilizer purchasing decisions with sustainability and market demands.

Companies currently participating in the VACI program include CF Industries, CVR Partners, LSB Industries, Nutrien, and Yara. A list of facilities that have received certification or pre-production certification is available on the VACI webpage.

Public Comment Period Now Open

To ensure the methodology reflects real-world operations and stakeholder needs, VACI is initiating a 90-day public consultation period for ammonia producers, fertilizer manufacturers, farmers, food companies, the public, and other stakeholders. Feedback will be used to refine and strengthen the program.

Comments about the VACI program can be made through Public Consultation Survey.

“Transparency only works if it is informed by those who use it,” added TFI vice president of member programs and VACI program lead Alice McKinnon. “We strongly encourage stakeholders across the fertilizer and food value chain to participate in this comment period and help shape the future of low-carbon fertilizer markets.”

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