The excessive use of synthetic fertilisers is a major cause of the planetary boundary being exceeded for biogeochemical nitrogen and phosphorus fluxes. It also contributes to ecosystem degradation, pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, which are directly linked to other planetary boundaries - in particular climate change, changes in the integrity of the biosphere and new pollutants. Moreover, the production of synthetic fertilisers or their intermediates is concentrated in a few countries, with Russia being the only country that is a leading exporter of all three main nutrients. This factsheet discusses the mutually reinforcing dependencies on synthetic fertilizers and their impacts. It also presents the possibility of moving towards a sustainable food system based on agroecology, which is characterised by the phasing out of synthetic fertilisers and pesticides, the restoration of natural grasslands and the enhancement of landscape features.
This factsheet was created in cooperation with People in Need, co-authored by Jakub Zelený.
