A global fertiliser consumption project has been announced by the International Fertilizer Association and agri benchmark.
Agri benchmark Cash Crop is a non-profit global network of agricultural economists, coordinated by the German Thunen Institute and the non-profit company global networks.
Its aim is to generate and disseminate reliable and usable analyses of major trends in global crop production for decision makers.
The project with the International Fertilizer Association is aimed at collecting data on the quantity of fertiliser used in key crops within all major fertiliser consuming countries.
Another aim of the joint project is to make the use of fertilisers in global crop production transparent to all stakeholders and the public.
According to agri benchmark, the project represents a significant move in monitoring fertiliser usage in crop production globally.
It has also said that it will use agri benchmark’s bottom-up approach to data collection, to understand at a sub-regional level how a country’s key crops contribute to the national quantity of fertiliser consumed.
Fertiliser use
Agri benchmark said that fertilisers are the cornerstone of improved crop growth, and an important means to ensure worldwide food security.
The organisation also believes that inefficient use of fertilisers can be harmful to the environment, and that nitrogen (N) is a major source of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from agriculture.
The joint project aims to deliver key outputs including:
- Specific fertiliser use per tonne of crop output;
- Regional and national averages in nutrient application/ha of the key field crops and perennial crops that make up up to 70% of arable land use;
- Regional and national averages in nutrient application per hectare of grassland;
- The global roll-out of the project will be phased over three years with a focus on different global regions in each year;
- Estimates for national fertiliser use in crop production and grassland in total.
The head of agri benchmark, Dr. Yelto Zimmer said: “We are very excited to be expanding our collaboration with the IFA [International Fertilizer Association] to work on the global roll-out in monitoring fertiliser use.
“Our aim is to become a hub for knowledge in global crop production economics, and this project will certainly strengthen the breadth and depth of data that we collect in that regard,” he said.
Chief scientist at the International Fertilizer Association, Achim Dobermann, said: “This project will systematically collect information on fertiliser use and other important agronomic practices, which we urgently need for improving global and national databases on nutrient use, balance and efficiency.”