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Making every nutrient count
Farm to Fork Strategy implementation
Nutrient management in Europe matters
The EU’s goal of halving nutrient losses by 2030 is only eight growing seasons away.
That means every step towards achieving this ambition must contribute to optimizing
yields, producing healthier crops, enhancing soil health, and ensuring the economic
viability of European farmers. This can be done by making every nutrient count.
The European Parliament’s
Fact box 1: Highlights from the European Parliament’s report on the
vision
F2F Strategy
The European Parliament adopted in
14. Welcomes the Commission’s
14. … highlights the importance
October 2021 an own-initiative report1
commitment to act to reduce nutrient
of the application of modern and
that sends a political signal to EU and
losses by at least 50 %, while ensuring
innovative technologies and solutions
national decision-makers - regarding
that there is
no deterioration in
such as
precision farming, targeted
fertilizer use,
the priority of the Farm
soil fertility; is convinced that this
fertilization that is adapted to plant
to Fork Strategy (F2F) should be on
would be best achieved through the
requirements, and
plant nutrition
reducing nutrient losses from both
closure of nutrient cycles, nutrient
advisory services and management
organic and mineral sources.
recovery and reuse and encouraging
support, as well as the need to install
and rewarding farmers to
plant
broadband in rural areas for that
leguminous crops;” ...
purpose”
Plant nutrition: a key piece of
Fact box 2: Highlights from the JRC study related to nutrients2
the puzzle
Several studies have shown that different
In particular, there is a
need for
... meeting the targets for land
targets set in the F2F and Biodiversity
global action to avoid leakage of
under organic farming and for
strategies can have a major impact on
pollution to other world areas as
reduction of gross nutrient surplus
farmers’ income, food production and
shown by the high levels of leakage for
are the main drivers behind the
food security globally. All studies have
GHG emissions. There is also a
need
reductions in production. Special
their strengths and limitations, and for
for productivity gains with respect
attention needs to be paid to how
instance don’t address positive effects
to organic farming and nutrient
these targets are implemented and
of the improved environmental aspects.
management which can be achieved
accompanied by CAP and other
Nevertheless, they all point to the fact that
with precision farming, new digital
measures.
fertilizers are a key piece of the puzzle to
technologies and other innovative
keep up with
EU’s ambition to produce
techniques, all part of the growth
food in a more sustainable way. As also
dimension of the Green Deal.
mentioned in the European Parliament’s
report, a dedicated impact assessment is
needed to ensure that any further steps
1 Texts adopted - Farm to Fork Strategy - Wednesday, 20 October 2021 (europa.eu)
in the F2F Strategy implementation are
2 JRC Publications Repository - Modelling environmental and climate ambition in the agricultural sector with the
science-based.
CAPRI model (europa.eu))
Making every nutrient count I 1
November 2021
Making every nutrient count
Farm to Fork Strategy implementation
How can we make every nutrient count?
“Together with farmers, best
Together with farmers, Yara Europe is actively working on
crop nutrient management
upscaling best nutrient management practices, which are already
practices can be upscaled. This
well known. This enables targeted fertilization and ensures that
will enable targeted fertilization
nutrients actually reach the crops. In addition, decision-support
tools, powered by precision farming and digitalization, should be
and ensure that the nutrients
used more broadly at farm level.
This can increase the overall
used feed efficiently the plants.
efficiency of the nutrients used today in Europe by 20%.
In addition, decision-support tools
Yara’s crop nutrition toolbox enables farmers to make every
powered by precision farming and
nutrient count, regardless of the farming system. Organic and
digitalization, should be used more
mineral nutrients are complementary, not mutually exclusive.
broadly at farm level.”
Used in the right quantities and forms, both are needed to
provide enough, sustainable food to consumers and to preserve
Monica Andrès, EVP Yara Europe
soil fertility. Here are three best practices, in line with elements
highlighted above:
Choosing the right
Opting for low-carbon
Adding precision and
mineral fertilizer and the
footprint mineral
knowledge to crop
right nitrogen form
fertilizers
nutrition planning
Different fertilizing products have
Considering the climate footprint
Plant nutrition is complex and
different environmental impacts. By
of fertilizing products is an
changing weather conditions make it
choosing the right mineral fertilizer
important step to reduce nutrient
even more challenging for farmers to
and the right nitrogen form,
farmers
losses to the atmosphere. Yara’s
ensure that the different nutrients they
can contribute to the cleaner air
nitrate-based fertilizers have today a
apply end up in the harvest and not
in the EU and reduce nutrient
carbon footprint that is on average
in the environment. Precision farming
losses to the air. Replacing all urea-
50-60% lower than other similar
and digital tools, apps and sensors, as
based fertilizers with ammonium
products. This is because Yara
the ones developed by Yara (Atfarm,
nitrate could prevent 63% of overall
has developed the best performing
N-Sensor and N-Tester BT), empower
ammonia emissions from fertilizer
catalysts for the production process,
farmers to optimize fertilization
application in Europe.
which reduce N2O emissions from
over the growing season.
This helps
fertilizer production by as much as
to improve the efficiency of the
90%.
nutrients used and the quality of
the harvested crops, while reducing
the losses to the environment.
A holistic approach with clear benefits
About Yara
By using above mentioned and other best practices and
solutions that exist today, European farmers can already:
Yara grows knowledge to responsibly feed the world and protect
the planet. Supporting our vision of a world without hunger
and a planet respected, we pursue a strategy of sustainable
value growth, promoting climate-friendly crop nutrition and
Improve Nutrient Use Efficiency by
zero-emission energy solutions. Yara’s ambition is focused on
growing a climate positive food future that creates value for our
20%
customers, shareholders, and society at large and delivers a
more sustainable food value chain.
Increase yields and income by
Founded in 1905 to solve the emerging famine in Europe, Yara
5-7%
has established a unique position as the industry’s only global
crop nutrition company. We operate an integrated business
model with around 17,000 employees and operations in over
60 countries.
www.yara.com
Reduce the carbon footprint related
to mineral fertilization at farm level
For further information, please contact:
by 20%
Yara International ASA, Drammensveien 131, P.O.Box 343,
Skøyen N-0213 Oslo, Norway
Yara disclaims all responsibility and liability for any expenses, losses, damages and costs
incurred as a result of relying on or using the information contained in the Paper. Yara
reserves the right to adjust and revise this Paper at any time.
Making every nutrient count I 1
