In the last post, I explored how organic and inorganic fertilizers when applied in excess can lead to soil and other types of pollution. The obvious solution one might think of is to reduce fertilizer use. However, fertilizer usage is not spread evenly across geographies and there are inequalities to consider when looking at phasing out harmful fertilizers.
In fact, there are up to 100-fold differences between countries in fertilizer use per hectare. In Sub-Saharan Africa, fertilizer use is a mere few kilograms per hectare, leading to poor improvements in crop yield. This not only affects farmers' profitability but also has adverse environmental impacts as it drives habitat loss as a result of the need to expand croplands. To prevent further habitat loss, improving crop yields through fertilizer use would benefit farmers and the environment. With climate change causing an estimated loss of over $250 million in economic damages in climate-vulnerable and drought-prone Sub-Saharan Africa, the threats to agricultural yield in this region will continue to rise.
Apart from climatic factors, Bjornlund et al. (2018) argue that the arrival of European maritime traders in the early fifteenth century to Sub-Saharan Africa led to the expatriation of economic benefits of food production to the Europeans, instead of developing diverse agricultural systems to further local development. The colonial legacy pervades till today, as the region promotes an export-oriented food system based on Western economic and political ideology. For example, the reduction in the diversity of agricultural commodities (through monoculture) has affected food resilience and self-sufficiency in the country, contributing to hunger and poverty. This, along with political and infrastructural challenges, ultimately plays a role in the country's ability to afford expensive fertilizers as well, leading to a vicious cycle.
On the other hand, the overuse of fertilizers in developing economies such as China, Brazil, and the UK needs to be addressed. These countries use hundreds of kilograms of fertilizers per hectare, and most of it is not taken up by crops. Figure 1 compares the level of nitrogen pollution in countries compared to the gains in crop yields relative to other countries, using data from a study published in Nature. China, Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, and Thailand emerge as the highest polluters. For instance, China causes 170% more nitrogen pollution than is necessary to achieve crop yields. Research shows that much of this overuse can be overcome through smallholder farmer education, precision agriculture, and agricultural policies.
Figure 1. Nitrogen pollution compared to crop gains relative to neighboring countries. Source: Our World In Data
These spatial disparities underscore how fertilizer use is inextricably connected with the economic, geographical, and historical context of countries, which need to be considered to inform nuanced solutions to this global issue.
References
Bjornlund, V., Bjornlund, H., & Van Rooyen, A. F. (2020). Why agricultural production in sub-Saharan Africa remains low compared to the rest of the world – a historical perspective. International Journal of Water Resources Development, 36(sup1), S20–S53. https://doi.org/10.1080/07900627.2020.1739512
Climate crisis: Staple crop yield in 8 African countries may decline by 80%, flags report. (2021, October 27). DownToEarth. Retrieved January 30, 2022, from https://www.downtoearth.org.in/news/climate-change/climate-crisis-staple-crop-yield-in-8-african-countries-may-decline-by-80-flags-report-79901
Ritchie, H. (2021a, August 9). Can we reduce fertilizer use without sacrificing food production? Our World in Data. Retrieved January 30, 2022, from https://ourworldindata.org/reducing-fertilizer-use
Ritchie, H. (2021b, September 7). Excess fertilizer use: Which countries cause environmental damage by overapplying fertilizers? Our World in Data. Retrieved January 30, 2022, from https://ourworldindata.org/excess-fertilizer
The World’s Most Expensive Fertilizer Market: Sub-Saharan Africa. (2016, December). Gro Intelligence. Retrieved January 30, 2022, from https://gro-intelligence.com/insights/fertilizers-in-sub-saharan-africa