Brazil and the United Kingdom have joined forces to announce the Belém Declaration on Fertilizers, a groundbreaking initiative at COP30. This declaration is a call to action, urging the global community to enhance fertilizer production and usage for the betterment of food security, environmental health, and climate resilience. Japan and a coalition of civil society organizations have also endorsed this crucial endeavor.
The statement emphasizes the dual nature of fertilizers: while synthetic and organic fertilizers are vital for crop and pasture productivity, they also contribute significantly to greenhouse gas emissions and environmental degradation. Richard Waite, Director of Agriculture Initiatives at the World Resources Institute, highlights the critical issue of nitrogen loss, stating that over half of the nitrogen applied to crops globally is wasted, leading to inefficiencies and environmental harm.
The solution lies in more efficient nitrogen use. By optimizing fertilizer application, we can achieve multiple benefits. This includes reducing emissions, increasing farmer profits, ensuring high crop yields and food security, improving air and water quality, and enhancing soil health and resilience. Research indicates that boosting global nitrogen use efficiency from the current 50% to 70% could result in a substantial reduction of 0.6 gigatons of CO2 equivalent in annual greenhouse gas emissions. Additionally, developing lower-carbon fertilizers presents further opportunities to significantly decrease emissions.
To realize these advantages, we must adopt smarter nutrient management practices. This includes the widespread use of enhanced efficiency fertilizers, such as nitrification inhibitors, and the development of crops that utilize nitrogen more effectively. Increased research and development are also crucial for exploring promising avenues like biological nitrification inhibition and biofertilizers. Governments play a pivotal role in this transformation by formulating policies and redirecting subsidies to support strategies that improve nitrogen use efficiency, minimize nitrogen losses, and reduce emissions from fertilizer production.
