On Monday 1 July, the European Commission published a market brief on fertilisers, which shows that their use in the EU has stabilised in recent years. However, according to the Commission, the adoption of precision farming technologies offers potential for more efficient usage.
Fertiliser prices can have a significant impact on farmers' work, as they represent on average 10% of consumption costs. In addition, the cost of nitrogen fertilisers is heavily dependent on the price of natural gas, which represents 60% to 80% of production costs. “For the agriculture sector, this increases their exposure to volatile world energy prices”, the Commission notes.
The study shows that fertiliser use fell sharply in the 1990’s and 2000’s due to the market-oriented reforms of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). However, this decrease has begun to plateau, the report notes. The cause: a slight growth in pesticide usage in the Member States that have recently joined the EU (Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia).
Although 90% of the fertilisers used in the EU are produced domestically, the EU remains a net importer.
Most of the fertilisers come from North Africa, Russia and the United States. Phosphate fertilisers are imported into the EU from Morocco and Russia. Potash based products come mainly from Russia and Belarus.
The environmental impact of fertiliser usage is mixed. When used appropriately, they can increase the production of biomass, help capture more carbon dioxide, while increasing yields. These increased yields reduce pressure the pressure on land by allowing more food to be produced in a smaller area, which in turn reduces emissions. Nevertheless, excessive fertiliser use can have negative impacts, such as nitrogen leakage in water courses and a questioning of the balance of surrounding ecosystems.
To read the note: https://bit.ly/2Xfum33 (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)