Fourth NSP Webinar on “Sound Fertilisation for Food Security in the Context of the Current Crisis”
The fourth NSP seminar, "Sound Fertilisation for Food Security," was successfully concluded by the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAODivision )'s of Plant Production and Protection (NSP). The virtual meeting was conducted via Zoom on 6 July 2022, from 14:00 to 16:00 CEST.
The objectives of the NSP seminar series were:
- to raise awareness of the contribution of plant production and protection to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at global, regional and national levels;
- to share information and knowledge on the strategic direction and technical development in sustainable plant production and protection;
- to promote cross-cutting dialogue and collaboration in plant production and protection worldwide.
This webinar also served as a preparatory session for the Global Conference on Sustainable Plant Production (GPC) with the theme “Innovation, Efficiency and Resilience,” planned for 2 - 4 November 2022. The webinar provided FAO Members, stakeholders and policymakers with information to help them mitigate the effects of increasing fertiliser input prices while responding to market demands and, more importantly, producing more food with less environmental footprint.
Fertilisers are used in agricultural production to improve plant nutrition in macro- and micro-nutrients, as well as increase plant health and productivity. They have been reported to be responsible for 30-50% of the yield increases in major crops. Crop production estimates that average corn and wheat yields would decline by 40% without regular N and P addition.
Since the beginning of 2022, fertiliser prices recorded a further 30% increase following the previous year’s surge. Prices increased as a result of several causes, including rising input costs, rising energy costs, supply disruptions brought on by sanctions (Russia and Belarus), and export limitations. FAO published information about international fertiliser prices through publishing the global fertiliser market: taking stock of a tightening market situation.
Several approaches could be implemented to mitigate the adverse impact of the fertiliser crisis including enhancing fertiliser use efficiency, using alternatives to mineral fertilisers and enhancing production practices.
In the context of utilisation of alternatives to chemical fertilisers, bio fertiliser is recommended as an economically feasible, and eco-friendly solution to enhance plant growth and yield and reduce chemical fertiliser application. These biologically active formulations are implemented to enhance soil quality and crop productivity through fixing atmospheric nitrogen, organic matter decomposition, and increasing the availability of translocated nutrients as well as other plant growth-promoting substances.
Bio fertilisers are likely to be more promising and among the potential solution to the fertilisers crisis in the long run with increasing awareness about their role among farmers, producers, policymakers, etc. In addition to improving fertiliser use efficiency and bio-fertiliser implementation, further alternatives to mineral fertilisers contribute to facilitating reaching plant nutrient sources.
In various countries, organic materials, such as animal manures, crop residues, green manures, and composts are traditionally utilised to maintain or improve the health, productivity and fertility of agricultural soils. Applying organic fertilisers with improved quality and application technology helps farmers overcome the scarcity and high cost of mineral fertilisers.
In this regard, the International Code of Conduct for the Sustainable Use and Management of Fertilisers was developed by FAO to enhance food safety and the safe use of fertilisers. Thus, multiple nutrient types and sources are considered within this Fertiliser Code and include chemical and mineral fertilisers; bio fertilisers; organic fertilisers such as livestock manures and composts; and sources of recycled nutrients such as wastewater, sewage sludge, digestates and other processed wastes. The Code of Conduct provides a locally adaptable framework and a voluntary set of practices to serve the different stakeholders directly or indirectly involved with fertilisers.
There was a virtual webinar with four speakers (from the private sector and academia). The speakers emphasised the global market overview for fertilisers, fertiliser use effectiveness, and fertiliser alternatives. The talks were followed by a discussion from farmers in the "Farmers' Perspectives" session. The NSP Director offered his viewpoint on the event's final remarks. Following the presentation, there was a 25-minute Q&A session to get input from the audience and provide the presenters with a chance to answer queries. The whole schedule is listed below.
Target audiences comprised policy-makers, representatives from countries and regions, farmer organisations, the scientific community, national research and extension services, development organisations, the private sector, etc.
Time |
Agenda item and presenters |
|---|---|
|
14:00 - 14:05 |
Welcome remarks by Jingyuan Xia, Director of FAO’s Plant Production and Protection Division |
|
14:05 - 14:15 |
Opening remarks by Beth Bechdol, FAO Deputy Director-General |
|
14:15 - 14:30 |
Overview and industry response to the global fertilizer crisis by Mr Patrick Heffer Deputy Director General, International Fertilizer Association (IFA) |
|
14:30 - 14:45 |
Increased Fertilization Efficiency for Food Security by Professor Zhang Fusuo, Chief Scientist of Plant Nutrition, China Agricultural University, China |
|
14:45 - 15:00 |
Biofertilizers for supporting food security by Professor Manish Raizada, Professor in the Department of Plant Agriculture, University of Guelph, Canada |
|
15:00 - 15:15 |
Alternative approaches to chemical fertilizers - enhancing food security by Professor Laurie Drinkwater, Professor, School of Integrative Plant Science Horticulture Section, Cornell University, USA |
|
15:15 - 15:20
15:20 - 15:25 |
Farmers’ Perspectives Janet Maro, CEO Programme, Farmers’ Association Sustainable Agriculture, Tanzania Gabriela Soto, Representative of “IFOAM – Organics International” |
|
15:25 - 15:50 |
Question and Answer Session |
|
15:50 - 16:00 |
Concluding remarks by Jingyuan Xia |
- Enhanced dialogue and stakeholder involvement in the efficient use of fertilisers and fertilisers alternatives to reduce the adverse impact of fertilisers price soaring
- Increased awareness of the importance of sustainable use of fertilisers and mineral fertiliser alternatives including reducing the demand for mineral fertilisers
- Publication developed including recommendations to overcome high prices and shortage in mineral fertilisers.
- Wide dissemination of webinar recording through FAO Decentralised Offices and communication platforms.
- Outreach and advocacy activities to endorse the important role of efficient use of fertilisers and mineral fertiliser alternatives for food security and environmental protection.