Archive:Fertiliser consumption and nutrient balance statistics

Data from August 2011, most recent data: Further Eurostat information, Main tables and Database.

This article presents data on agriculture and the environment within the European Union (EU). Around 40 % of the EU-27’s land area is farmed, highlighting the importance of farming for the EU’s natural environment.

Links between the natural environment and farming practices are complex: farming has contributed over the centuries to creating and maintaining a variety of valuable semi-natural habitats within which a wide range of species rely for their survival; on the other hand, inappropriate agricultural practices and land use can have an adverse effect on natural resources, through the pollution of soil, water and air, or the fragmentation of habitats and a subsequent loss of wildlife.

Figure 1: Estimated consumption of manufactured fertilizers, 2009
(in kilograms of nutrient per hectare of UAA)
BLEU = Belgium-Luxembourg Economic Union
Source: Fertilizers Europe (Eurostat online data code: (aei_fm_manfert))

Main statistical findings

Figure 2: Change in Nitrogen use, 1991-2006
(percentage change of absolute tonnage)
Source: Eurostat (aei_fm_usefert)

Figure 3: Change in Phosphorus use, 1991-2006
(percentage change of absolute tonnage)
Source: Eurostat (aei_fm_usefert)

Consumption of manufactured fertilizers

Figure 1 shows the estimated consumption of manufactured fertilizers in kilograms of nutrients (expressed as N, P and K) per hectare of utilised agricultural area (UAA) in the EU (excluding Malta) in 2009.
NB: This consumption is estimated by Fertilizers Europe, the European federation of fertilizers manufacturers. Fertilizer data are not available in Malta. The estimated consumption of nutrient is divided by the UAA to calculate the estimated consumption per hectare. The UAA data are the 2007 FSS values from Eurostat (online data codes: (aei_ps_alt) and (ef_lu_ovcropaa).

In 2009 the total estimated consumption of manufactured fertilizers in the EU (excluding Malta) averaged 76 kilograms of nutrients (N, P and K altogether) per hectare of UAA. Nitrogen accounted for the vast majority (78%) of the nutrients consumed in manufactured fertilizers, with an estimated consumption of 59 kg/ha on average in the EU that ranged from 19 kg/ha in Portugal to 125 kg/ha in the Netherlands. In contrast, the average estimated consumption for Phosphorus was 6 kg/ha (from 2 to 10 kg/ha) and 11 kg/ha for Potassium (from 2 to 33 kg/ha). The countries with the highest consumption of nutrients (from manufactured fertilizers) per hectare were the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg, and Norway, followed by Germany. By contrast, Portugal and Romania were the countries with the lowest consumption of nutrients.

Besides the consumption estimated by the fertilizers industry, some European countries produce official statistics on the use of such mineral fertilizers. These data are presented in Figures 2 and 3 respectively showing the change in the absolute quantities of Nitrogen and Phosphorus consumed in 1991 (average tonnages for 1990-1991-1992) and 2006 (average tonnages for 2005-2006-2007). Figure 2 shows that between 1991 and 2006 the Nitrogen fertilizer consumption increased in Poland, Czech Republic and Hungary, whereas it remained stable in Norway and decreased in Ireland, Germany, France, Sweden, Austria, Switzerland, Finland, Luxembourg, Romania, Netherlands, Greece, Slovakia and Denmark. The largest increase occurred in Hungary (+34%) and the largest decrease in Denmark (-49%). Figure 3 shows that between 1991 and 2006 the Phosphorus fertiliser consumption increased in Hungary (+33%) and decreased in Poland, Norway, Netherlands, Ireland, Romania, Sweden, Austria, Czech Republic, Germany, France, Denmark, Switzerland, Finland, Luxembourg and Slovakia. The largest decrease occurred in Slovakia (-80%).

Gross Nutrient Balances

Figure 4: Gross Nitrogen Balance, 2000-2008
(kg of N per ha of agricultural land)
Source: Eurostat (aei_pr_gnb)

Figure 5: Gross Phosphorus Balance, 2000-2008
(kg of P per ha of agricultural land)
Source: Eurostat (aei_pr_gnb)

Between 2005 and 2008, the Gross Nitrogen Balance for the EU-27 remained relatively stable, with an estimated average of 50 kilograms of N per hectare of agricultural land, ranging from 210 kg/ha in the Netherlands to -4 kg/ha in Hungary.

In the EU-15 the Gross Nitrogen Balance fell from an estimated average of 66 kg/ha over the period 2000-2004 to an estimated average of 58 kg/ha over the period 2005-2008. In the ten Central and Eastern European (CEC) countries (Poland, Slovenia, Slovakia, Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria) the Gross Nitrogen Balance was much lower than in the EU-15, with an estimated average of 33 kg/ha over the period 2005-2008.

The Nitrogen surplus scored the highest in the North-Western European countries (Belgium, Netherlands, Norway, United Kingdom, Germany, Denmark) and the Mediterranean islands Malta and Cyprus. By contrast the Mediterranean countries (Portugal, Italy, Spain, Greece) and many of the CEC countries had the lowest Nitrogen surpluses. Figure 4 shows the average Gross Nitrogen Balance per hectare of agricultural land (the total of arable land, land under permanent crops and permanent grassland) for the periods 2000-2004 and 2005-2008. Most countries reduced the Gross Nitrogen Balance per hectare in the period 2005-2008 compared to the period 2000-2004; the exceptions were Czech Republic, Poland, Romania and Norway. The average Gross Nitrogen Balance could not be estimated for the period 2000-2004 for Cyprus, Malta and Estonia due to lack of data.

Between 2005 and 2008, the Gross Phosphorus Balance for the EU-27 remained relatively stable, with an estimated average of 2 kilograms of P per hectare of agricultural land, ranging from 26 kg/ha in Malta to -11 kg/ha in Hungary.

In the EU-15 the Gross Phosphorus Balance fell from an estimated average of 5 kg/ha over the period 2000-2004 to an estimated average of 3 kg/ha over the period 2005-2008. In the ten Central and Eastern European (CEC) countries (Poland, Slovenia, Slovakia, Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria) the Gross Phosphorus Balance was neutral, with an estimated average of 0 kg/ha over the period 2005-2008.

The Gross Phosphorus Balance was high in the Mediterranean islands Malta and Cyprus and Northwestern Europe (Norway, Netherlands, United Kingdom, Denmark) while the balance was negative for Italy, Greece and many CEC countries. Figure 5 shows the average Gross Phosphorus Balance per hectare of agricultural land (the total of arable land, land under permanent crops and permanent grassland) for the periods 2000-2004 and 2005-2008. The Gross Phosphorus Balance per hectare decreased in most countries in 2005-2008 compared to 2000-2004, exceptions were Norway, Poland and Romania. Data for Cyprus and Estonia were not available for 2000-2004.

Data sources and availability

Fertilizers consumption

Industry estimate:

Consumption estimate of manufactured fertilizers (source: Fertilizers Europe)

Data on the estimated consumption of manufactured fertilizers were provided by Fertilizers Europe, the European association of fertilizers manufacturers. A uniform methodology is applied to all countries included in the dataset. The methodology was developed as a forecasting exercise for the industry. It relies on the estimation of application rates by crop at national and sometimes even regional levels by experts (recruted in the fertilizers industry, agricultural institutes, etc.) and multiplied by the forecasted cropping areas. Then the forecasted consumption is reconciled with the quantities actually sold to constitute the time series presented in this article. The methodology includes a 2-year margin where estimated consumption can differ from actual sales to account for potential changes in stocks (when the product was sold but might not yet have been used). After the 2 years, the estimated consumption is fixed at the level of the actual sales.

Official Member States data:

Use of inorganic fertilizers

Data on the quantities of nutrients contained in fertilizers used at national level were generally provided by the National Statistical Institutes of the countries included in the dataset. These data were provided in the framework of the Joint Eurostat/OECD Questionnaire on Agri-Environmental Indicators and of the Eurostat/OECD Gross Nutrient Balances data collection exercise.

Nutrient Balances

Gross Nutrient Balance

Data were generally provided by the National Statistical Institutes in the framework of the Eurostat/OECD Nutrient Balances data collection exercise. For some countries, the Gross Nutrient Balances were estimated by Eurostat, and afterwards approved by the national authorities. Methodologies are described in the Eurostat/OECD Nitrogen Balance Handbook and the Eurostat/OECD Phosphorus Balance Handbook.

Further information on the nutrient balances and fertilizers data are available in the articles on Gross Nitrogen Balance

and Gross Phosphorus Balance.

Context

The complex relationship between agriculture and the environment has resulted in environmental concerns and safeguards being integrated within the EU’s common agricultural policy (CAP), with particular attention being paid to reducing the risks of environmental degradation through cross-compliance criteria (as a condition for benefiting from direct payments, farmers must comply with certain requirements, some related to environmental protection) and targeted agri-environmental measures, in order to enhance the sustainability of agro-ecosystems.

The importance attached to assessing the interaction between agriculture and the environment is underlined by a European Commission Communication COM(2006) 508 ‘Development of agri-environmental indicators for monitoring the integration of environmental concerns into the common agricultural policy’, containing a list of 28 agri-environmental indicators, which are to be used to monitor the integration of environmental concerns into agricultural policy at an EU, national and regional level; the indicators relate to farming practices, agricultural production systems, pressures and risks to the environment, and the state of natural resources.

Fertilizers contain important nutrients, such as Nitrogen (N), Phosphorus (P) and Potassium (K), which plants absorb from the soil for their growth. Fertilizers are therefore an essential input in agricultural production. In addition to livestock manure used as an organic fertilizer, most farms — with the exception of organic farms — also apply large amounts of mineral fertilizers manufactured by the fertilizer industry.

When the amount of fertilizer applied exceeds the plants’ nutritional requirements, there is a greater risk of nutrient losses from agricultural soils into ground and surface water. The resulting higher concentration of nutrients (‘eutrophication’) can cause serious degradation of ecosystems. In order to limit eutrophication and the associated environmental damage, a number of legislative measures have been taken, such as the adoption of the Nitrates Directive and the Water Framework Directive, covering the designation of nitrate-vulnerable zones where Member States have imposed regulatory limits on the load and timing of the spreading of fertilizer (and manure) on agricultural land.

In addition to the problems triggered by eutrophication, fertilizers also have adverse environmental effects resulting from their production processes. More specifically, nitrogenous fertilizers — which are the fertilizers most commonly consumed — require large amounts of energy and ultimately cause greenhouse gas emissions. In a completely different way, phosphorus and potash fertilizers also have an environmental impact, since the raw materials used to produce them are mined, therefore creating the damage typically associated with mining, e.g. landscape destruction, water contamination, excessive water consumption and air pollution.

However, in order to estimate the risk of nutrient loss, consumption of manufactured fertilizers should be combined with other nutrient inputs, such as application of manure and slurry, nitrogen fixation and atmospheric nitrogen deposition, along with nutrient uptake by plants. In addition, the nutrient requirements (and hence consumption) of plants are influenced by previous land management, soil type and climatic factors, and they vary from one crop to another.

The Gross Nitrogen Balance (GNB) provides an insight into the links between agricultural Nitrogen use, losses of Nitrogen to the environment, and the sustainable use of soil Nitrogen resources. A persistent surplus of Nitrogen (N) indicates potential environmental problems, such as ammonia emissions (contributing to acidification, eutrophication and atmospheric particulate pollution), N leaching (resulting in pollution of drinking water and eutrophication of surface waters) or emissions of nitrous oxide (a potent greenhouse gas). A persistent deficit in N indicates the risk of a decline in soil fertility.

The GNB, i.e. the estimated N surplus, can only indicate the total potential risk to the environment (air, water and soil), as the actual risk depends on many factors including climate conditions, soil type and soil characteristics, soil saturation, and management practices such as drainage, tillage, irrigation, etc. As the GNB roughly represents the difference between the nutrients applied to the soil and the nutrients removed with the crops, the GNB reflects the risk of the remaining nutrients either leaching into the soil and water or being released into the atmosphere

The input side of the balance includes all N supplied to the soil. The output side of the balance presents the N uptake by harvested (and grazed) crops and fodder and crop residues removed from the field. The harvest and grazing of crops and fodder means that N is removed from the soil. In order to sustain soil fertility, this removal of N in principle should be compensated by supplying the same amount of N. However, not all of the N in fertilizers and manure reaches the plant: a part is lost due to volatilisation in animal housing, manure storage and during the application to the soil. Organic N in manure needs to be mineralized first before it is available to the plant, which means that part of the N does not become available to the plant in the year when it is applied; yield and therefore the uptake of N by crops is determined not only by inputs but also by uncontrollable factors such as climate. Furthermore, the risk of N leaching and run-off depends not only on the excess N but also on the type of soil, precipitation rates, soil saturation, temperature, etc.