From science to practice: circularity at the crossroad of market and agriculture
From bio-based fertilisers to nutrient recovery, research is intensifying efforts to achieve Green Deal targets and decarbonise the agriculture sector. Yet, recent farmer protests have brought new challenges and systemic questions to the forefront for the incoming EU institutions: are the targets of producing more, sustainably, and cheaper compatible? Is circularity viable and accessible to all?
Producing more, but cheaper and more sustainably, to meet higher environmental standards and international competition. The growing pressure on the agriculture sector triggered in the past months by an unprecedented wave of farmers' protests now poses a major challengefor the European institutions, after June's elections. The hike in the cost of fertilisers, the drop in farm-gate prices and imports from the cheapest markets were only some of the protesters' complaints but the underlying question is systemic: is the goal of a more environmentally friendly production chain compatible with the current framework of European agricultural policies and the imperative of lowering costs? With farming now accounting for 11% of the EU's greenhouse gas emissions, the Green Deal sets the target of cutting fertiliser use by 20% by 2030 as part of its strategy to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. Research is speeding up to develop innovative solutions and European projects such as B-Ferst are pushing for nutrient recovery to create green fertilisers aimed at both reducing dependence on raw materials and decarbonise the sector. Yet, many questions remain unanswered, and the scope of these solutions raises numerous challenges at the intersection of science and practical implementation. To explore these issues further, we spoke with Prof Mark Sutton, Vice Chair of the Global Partnership on Nutrients Management (GPNM) and a member of the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology in Edinburgh, and Morgan Ody, General Coordinator of the international peasants' movement La Via Campesina, member of its European Coordination ECVC, and small-scale farmer in Brittany, France.
Can science contribute to providing an answer to the demands of producing more, cheaper and more sustainably?
Prof Mark Sutton
Very often the solutions are known, but they end up not being implemented. Science is clearly showing the way, but we need to understand how to make them more appealing, and what is preventing farmers from adopting them.
Morgan Ody
It's not a technical problem. We know how to produce sustainably, but for farmers and peasants to earn a decent living, we cannot cut the costs to be competitive on the international market and achieve the agro-ecological transition at the same time. It's mainly a political issue of social justice, but science would definitely be precious in finding solutions to regulate the markets and ensure stable prices for both farmers and consumers.
Do you mean that producing sustainably and cheaper is a contradiction?
Morgan Ody
Producing sustainably is more expensive because using organic instead of synthetic fertilisers and applying fewer pesticides usually requires more labour. This is something that individual farmers cannot solve on their own. What we need, first of all, is strong incentives from the European Union to diversify agriculture and ensure a fair distribution of livestock and manure in order to naturally fertilise all territories. It's all about political choices, which still favour economic over ecological reasons.
Prof Mark Sutton
Regarding the disconnection of manure and cropping, the challenge is how to get the nutrients back into the loop. Brussels is now discussing the recovery of nitrogen from manure, for instance. I'm still examining their numbers in detail, but large-scale farms recovering nutrients could mean a larger business turning manure back into fertilisers, benefiting smaller farms as well. So, in principle, everybody could play their part and gain advantages from nutrient recovery. There is a parallel question about how to support the diversity of agriculture.
Fostering diversity, reducing the dependence from raw materials needed for synthetic fertilizers, protecting from prices volatility. Could circularity be part of the answer?
Prof Mark Sutton
Circularity will not address all concerns, but it's definitely an important part of the puzzle. Just consider that the nitrogen wasted in the agrifood system across Europe is around 15 to 18 million tonnes. If you multiply this by a price of 3 euros per kilogram at 2022 prices, you get 60 billion euros, which is the same value as the total cost of the European agricultural policy. These numbers alone highlight how valuable these resources could be for farmers if they were well managed instead of wasted.
Morgan Ody
Circularity is linked with the diversification of farming, and to achieve this, we need two things. Firstly, prices must cover the costs of sustainable production, which is a key area of change for the EU. Proper market regulation is essential to achieve this. Secondly, we need stronger financial incentives for farmers willing to embrace the change. These two aspects are connected: if we secure fair incomes by leveraging prices, subsidies worth 50 billion euros could be allocated to incentivise the agro-ecological transition.
Yet, circular solutions still struggle to be largely adopted…
Prof Mark Sutton
Social and environmental costs such as water and air pollution are significant drivers, but what will really motivate farmers is the cash value of the resources wasted. Some of these solutions are still affordable only for large-scale farmers, but smaller ones can, in the meantime, find ways to reduce wasted nutrients, so that they do not need so much fertiliser, and thus increase their margins. So far, for circularity to be profitable, you have to be smart, but technology has made a lot of progress and its advantages will become more widespread. This is why more investments are needed to foster innovation.
Morgan Ody
All farmers would like to be more sustainable, and none of them are happy to use chemical pesticides and fertilisers, but we are part of a system where economic constraints play a huge role. To foster the uptake of circular solutions, we should specifically incentivise them and make them more financially advantageous. Not only are CAP subsidies calculated per hectare, but since 1992, they have also mainly been meant to compensate for agricultural production that is remunerated below its production costs, to make it competitive on international markets. As a consequence, they incentivise large-scale farms to grow even bigger and, for the sake of simplicity, opt for monocultures and synthetic fertilisers at the expense of biodiversity and carbon emissions. Conversely, small-scale farms, which receive no or very few subsidies, are left with no margins to increase their production costs and basically have the dilemma of either covering them or embracing the agro-ecological transition.
The European elections are just behind us. What's your call for the next EU institutions, then?
Prof Mark Sutton
I'm confident that the European Commission has enough resources to better integrate circularity practices and find solutions that are both equitable for the whole of society and economically beneficial for farmers. Yet, I would emphasize the importance of environmental considerations and the externalities that are not accounted for in a narrow business assessment of costs.
Morgan Ody
First of all, as food is a crucial democratic issue, it should be discussed democratically with producers, consumers, and environmental organisations. The European institutions should engage in an open debate and listen to what the people have to say. Because food is not only business; it's power, it's cultural diversity, and it's part of our identity.
Contacts:
Project coordinator:
Mr. Javier Brañas Lasala—Fertiberia, Spain
coordinator@bferst.eu
Communication Manager:
Chiara Serio, ICONS
info@bferst.eu
Project website:https://bferst.eu/
LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/company/b-ferst-project/
YouTube: @b-ferstproject3592
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