Governments worldwide have committed to be ‘Net Zero’ and to ‘balance the books’ between the amount of greenhouse gas emissions produced and the amount removed from the atmosphere. Achieving the target of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions means slashing emissions from fertiliser manufacture and use but the UK government’s Net Zero Strategy offers no plan for tackling the problem.
Soil Association head of farming policy Gareth Morgan said: “It is shocking that the government’s Net Zero Strategy makes only a passing mention of the impact of fossil fuel-based fertilisers on the climate and environment and even more alarming that they have no plan in place to support farmers to reduce their reliance on them. The production of nitrogen fertiliser is highly dependent on expensive and polluting fossil fuels making farmers very vulnerable to huge price spikes and global events like the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
“Agriculture and the food system are responsible for a third of all greenhouse gas emissions and failing to address this will mean that the government has simply no prospect of meeting its net zero target.”
Nitrogen is a key contributor to climate change. In its active form, such as in fertiliser, it releases nitrous oxide when exposed to soil causing microbial reactions. This gas is 300 times more potent at warming the atmosphere than carbon dioxide – and it remains active for more than 100 years – almost 10 times longer than methane. These agricultural emissions contribute 25% of the particulate pollution in London’s air, 32% in Birmingham and 38% in Leicester in 2019.
Morgan said: “It is vital that the government demonstrates its commitment to net zero by setting a target for reducing fossil fuel-based fertiliser in UK farming and offers incentives and advice to support farmers to reduce their dependence on nitrogen fertiliser and adopt cheaper more nature friendly approaches to fix nitrogen on their farms.
“We want all UK governments to take action on nitrogen, but we are targeting the Westminster government first, as the biggest player, because they have ultimate UK accountability for net zero and the vast majority of fertilizer use is in England.”
“UK farming can’t simply go cold turkey on nitrogen. However, the government and farmers can utilise the decades of experience and research in the organic farming sector – which is not permitted to use these harmful fossil fuel-based products. Organic farmers build natural fertility using nature friendly farming practices incorporating natural fertiliser, crops including legumes and clover in rotations, and a whole farm system approach. This experience can help conventional farmers to reduce their reliance on costly inputs which will deliver significant benefits for the climate and biodiversity.”
The Soil Association’s Innovative Farmers programme has been pioneering extensive farmer-led research across organic, agroecological and conventional farming to increase the scientific knowledge which will help farmers to produce without expensive inputs.
The sustainable food and farming charity is working with a number of farming and environmental NGOs to establish an action group on nitrogen that will press the government to provide the leadership necessary to address this issue.