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Fertilizer Feast and Famine

Solving the Global Nitrogen Problem

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tractor on field
Study looks at strategies to tackle inefficient fertilizer use in developed nations and lack of access in emerging markets. (Getty Images)

Quick Summary

  • Cost of fertilizer and lack of coordinated international policy are major barriers for farmers in emerging market economies
  • Fertilizer use could increase 40 percent by 2050, so using fertilizer more efficiently will be key in developed countries

Commercial organic and synthetic nitrogen fertilizer helps feed around half of the world鈥檚 population. While excessive fertilizer use poses environmental and public health risks, many developing nations lack access to it, leading to food insecurity, social unrest and economic hardship.

A team of scientists, led by the University of California, Davis, has published that identifies five strategies to tackle the problem. These include applying fertilizers more precisely, getting nitrogen to where it鈥檚 needed most, removing nitrogen pollution from the environment, reducing food waste and empowering consumers to think about sustainable food options.

鈥淲e have a two-sided challenge and we can鈥檛 just focus on one side and forget about the other,鈥 said lead author Ben Houlton, professor and director of the John Muir Institute of the Environment at 嘿嘿视频. 鈥淧eople not having access to fertilizer to grow food is as much of a problem as inefficient use of it.鈥

Too little

The cost of fertilizer is a major barrier in emerging market economies, particularly for farmers in sub-Saharan Africa and parts of Latin America. Government subsidies can help, but the research suggests the problem isn鈥檛 just an economic one. Policies among governments need to be better coordinated to help farmers gain access to fertilizer, using the most advanced and sustainable precision-agricultural approaches.

A coordinated international policy is urgently needed, said Houlton. While groups like the have made significant progress in advancing global nitrogen issues, the study calls for a formal research mandate similar to the United Nations鈥 to solve the global nitrogen problem.

Too much

Feeding an expected 10 billion people by 2050 could increase fertilizer use by as much as 40 percent. Shifting fertilizer application practices will be key, said Houlton. Slow-release fertilizers, 鈥渇ertigation鈥 (fertilizers with irrigation water) and using new sensor technologies and drones can help improve nitrogen efficiency. These techniques can be costly, presenting challenges to adoption.

鈥淪imilar to offering consumers rebates for buying the first electric cars, we need incentives for farmers to adopt these practices,鈥 Houlton said.

The study also discusses ways to remove nitrogen pollution from the environment, including river and floodplain restoration projects and buffer strips designed to improve water quality.

Food waste and diet

One-quarter of all food produced is wasted. Its disposal at landfills also produces greenhouse gases such as methane and nitrous oxide. The research suggests repurposing food waste as animal feed or turning it into compost. The study also highlights the need for increasing consumer awareness to reduce overbuying.

Another strategy for reducing nitrogen overuse is to empower consumers to understand sustainable food growing practices and healthy food choices . Not all crops, dairy or meat is grown in the same way. The study suggests more research and life cycle assessments of how different growing practices affect nitrogen footprints so consumers can determine options that make the most sense for their particular culture and values.

鈥淣itrogen as a problem is quite solvable鈥 Houlton said. 鈥淭he benefits of a sustainable nitrogen balance can materialize remarkably quickly, from assisting in humanitarian crises to slashing global climate pollutants, preserving Earth鈥檚 biodiversity, and reducing toxic algae blooms in rivers, lakes and the sea.鈥

Co-authors include Kate Scow, Maya Almaraz, and Thomas Tomich of 嘿嘿视频. The study was supported by the National Science Foundation.

The study was published online today in the journal

Media Resources

Amy Quinton, 嘿嘿视频 News and Media Relations, 530-752-9843, amquinton@ucdavis.edu

Benjamin Houlton, John Muir Institute of the Environment, 530-752-2210, bzhoulton@ucdavis.edu

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Secondary Categories

Environment Food & Agriculture

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