The GSP has issued a stark warning based on the latest analysis and facts pointing out that synthetic nitrogen fertilizers are responsible for approximately 38 percent of agricultural emissions derived from the release of soil nitrous oxide (N2O) – found in synthetic fertilizers, manure and crop residues. The impacts extend to the economic and social spheres, since the agriculture-derived nitrogen emissions account for economic losses of around $200 billion USD annually. Moreover, the costs for human health and the impact on aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems amount to $400–4000 billion USD annually.

“Managing the usage of fertilizers in a sustainable manner is vital if we are to feed the world and save a planet thick in the storm of a climate emergency,” said Carolina Olivera, GSP expert on sustainable soil management.

“The wrong-use of synthetic fertilizers is a significant contributor to global emissions, and this problem must be part of the discussion around meeting global climate targets” she urged.

Growing back greener

The amount of synthetic nitrogen fertilizers used worldwide has grown by an alarming 800 percent since the 1960s, according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

FAO estimates that that volume could increase by another 50 percent by 2050, a trend which, if maintained will pump potent GHGs into the atmosphere, posing a greater threat to global warming than carbon dioxide emissions.

“Synthetic nitrogen fertilizers are widely used in conventional agriculture to boost productivity. But their production and misuse or overuse take a huge toll on the environment, emitting carbon dioxide and methane as well as nitrous oxide,” warned Vinisa Saynes Santillan, GSP expert on Soil Fertility and Nitrogen.

Soils as a storehouse for carbon are a major feature of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly Goals 13 and 15.

The international fertilizers code: setting the pace for climate action

The GSP’s Fertilizer Code of Conduct – endorsed in 2019 – is an instrument that provides a locally adaptable framework and a voluntary set of practices to serve different stakeholders directly or indirectly involved with fertilizers.

It represents an important tool for implementing the Voluntary Guidelines for Sustainable Soil Management (VGSSM), with a special focus on nutrient imbalances and soil pollution.

The Code aims to tackle three main issues related to fertilizer use and management across the world: underuse, overuse, and misuse by offering up solutions to get the balance right for the planet and people.

As climate change and sustainability stand top of the global agenda, supporting and improving national and regional-level greenhouse gas mitigation and carbon sequestration initiatives by enhancing the use of fertilizers has never mattered more.

WANT TO CONTRIBUTE TO A SUSTAINABLE USE AND MANAGEMENT OF FERTILIZERS? COMPLETE THE SURVEY by 10 December 2021! 

View our video and complete the survey to provide elements for the elaboration of detailed and prioritized implementation plans of the International code of conduct for the sustainable use and management of fertilizers.

Deadline: 10 December 2021

ARABIC:  VIEW THE VIDEO & COMPLETE THE SURVEY | Fertilizer code

CHINESE: VIEW THE VIDEO & COMPLETE THE SURVEY | Fertilizer code

ENGLISH: VIEW THE VIDEO & COMPLETE THE SURVEY | Fertilizer code

FRENCH: VIEW THE VIDEO & COMPLETE THE SURVEY | Fertilizer code

RUSSIAN: VIEW THE VIDEO & COMPLETE THE SURVEY | Fertilizer code

SPANISH: VIEW THE VIDEO & COMPLETE THE SURVEY | Fertilizer code