Member profile
Dr. Robert Norton
Organization:
The University of Melbourne
Country:
Australia
Field(s) of expertise:
I am working on:
Nutrient balances and best management practices in grain production systems
Dr. Robert Norton
In terms of a global guideline for nutrient management, it seesm that the comments below seem to vary from a code that will provide guidance to farmers or as a broader policy framework for governance. The former would seem adequately covered in the 4R nutrient stewardship principles which have wide acceptance in industry and with growers. These principles have been applied in a wide range of situations and cover the important aspects of nutrient management for a sustainable future. As such they should be strongly referenced and applied by advisors and growers - it is the principle of management espoused by 4R and supported by science that is critical not the detail for particular situations that seems to cloud the direction of this code.
It would be disappointing scientifically as well as challenging soil health, food security and the environment if some of the opinions in the comments section became embedded in an important code. Fertilizers feed half of the global population and directly address soil health through replacing nutrient that are moved along the food chain. This is such a complex and significant issue that simple or simplistic solutions will not address the challeneges we face. Because the problem is multi-dimensional, the solutions will also be manifold and will have particular applications in particular situations - but I propose that these would fit well into the 4R framework meaning effective communication to stakeholders.
The document provided seems to have a lot of repetition in it which may, or may not be useful in the way it is interpreted. There also seems to be a need for a much wider stakeholder consultation than one month and the 50 contributions noted below.
Dr. Robert Norton
I have read some of the contributions to the on-line debate as I develop my response to the issues raised in the CoCoFe. Any information that contributes to such an important code must be supported by robust science and not just be opinions and ideas. While the incorporation of recycling nutrients is very important both in an environmental and economic sense, the fact remains that agriculture and food production is essentially still an open system - because production and consumption are temporally and spatially separated. Composting, worms, P reclamation all have a small role in helping develop a circular economy but the fact remains that nutrients will still be needed from mineral fertilizers to sustain production of food for humanity.
Developing these guidelines is too important to have junk science driving the practices to be recommended.