Towards Smart Agriculture – Press Release By 2050 food production will need to increase by 60-70%. “We will need to produce more food in the next 50 years than we did in the past 10,000 years. Scientists estimate that fertilizers are responsible for feeding 48% of the global population. This illustrates the critical role that fertilizers play” Fertilizers Europe, Director General, Jacob Hansen. Without “man-made” fertilizers human life is no longer sustainable. EU policy therefore must focus on ways in which we can feed a global population whilst respecting the environment. Europe has an obligation to play its part in producing more food for its own needs and to assist the global effort to attain food security for all. Jacob Hansen stated “European agriculture is one of the most efficient and productive worldwide but currently in Europe we are net importers of food. The area outside of the EU required to produce these imports amounts to almost 35 million hectares approximately the size of Germany. We have to address this.” Not all fertilizers are the same and not all perform to the same rate of yield and environmental performance. Farmers are the best land managers that we have and Directly Available Nitrogen (DAN) Fertilizers have been European farmers’ fertilizer of choice for decades. Farmers are the true experts when it comes to knowing their soil structure but we can help them by advising on the best application rates and type of fertilizer. Combining good agricultural practice with DAN fertilizers enhances nitrogen-use efficiency and minimizes environmental losses. “Not all fertilizers perform in the same way. DAN fertilizers are directly absorbed by plants. They are the most effective way of ensuring the best quality yield and environmental performance” Hansen. Air quality will be the focus next year of DG Environment. 94% of all ammonia emissions are caused by agriculture with around 80% of these emissions coming from organic sources. It is quite clear that man-made fertilizers are accountable for only a minimal share of these emissions, but we will play our part. The UN/ECE Gothenburg Protocol and the EU National Emissions Ceiling Directive are proposing measures and limits to control ammonia emissions from all sources. The use of DAN fertilizers is a solution to reducing ammonia emissions to air.
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