H2020 projects push for harmonised pricing models for recycled nutrients to ensure sustainable agricultural practices in
Five Horizon 2020 (H2020) projects—LEX4BIO, FERTIMANURE, SEA2LAND, RUSTICA, and WalNUT—have released a new position paper titled How to boost bio-based fertilisers (BBFs) in the European market, emphasising the critical need for harmonised pricing models for recycled nutrients.
The position paper is the second document originating from the Nutrient in Europe Research Meeting (NERM) event, held in Brussels on 16 and 17 April 2024 and organised by the above-mentioned projects and the European Sustainable Phosphorous Platform (ESPP).
This publication calls for increased adoption of sustainable fertilisation practices and supports the European Union's transition towards a circular economy, addressing the current disparities in the pricing and availability of bio-based fertilising products (BBFs) derived from recycled nutrients. These disparities pose significant barriers to the widespread adoption of these environmentally friendly alternatives to conventional mineral fertilisers.
The paper emphasises the necessity of aligning pricing strategies for recycled nutrients with market dynamics to make BBFs more competitive than traditional fertilisers. It highlights the importance of a centralised database and potential subsidies to increase awareness and facilitate the production and application of novel BBF products.
Stronger collaboration among stakeholders is needed to develop and implement standardised pricing frameworks, advocating for continued dialogue and joint initiatives to overcome the economic barriers hindering the adoption of BBFs. The open dialogue will include policymakers, researchers and industry players.
By promoting the use of recycled nutrients, the position paper outlines how Europe can reduce its reliance on mineral fertilisers, thereby minimising the environmental impact associated with fertiliser production and application. Evidence from various field trials conducted by the signatory projects is presented, demonstrating that BBFs can deliver comparable agronomic performance to conventional fertilisers while offering additional environmental benefits.
LEX4BIO, FERTIMANURE, SEA2LAND, RUSTICA, and WalNUT propose several policy recommendations to support the uptake of BBFs, including financial incentives, research funding for long-term field trials, and the development of harmonised methodologies to assess the quality and safety of BBFs.
According to Francisco Corona, WalNUT coordinator and circular economy researcher at CARTIF,
"It is necessary to emphasise the critical need for harmonised pricing models for recycled nutrients to encourage the adoption of sustainable fertilisation practices and support the EU's transition to a circular economy."
Ultimately, the position paper stresses the need for the European Commission to include specific provisions in the EU Fertilising Products Regulation to define and promote bio-based content in fertilisers.
The full version of the position paper is available at: http://walnutproject.eu/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/H2020-projects-jont-position-paper-PRICING-recycled-nutrients.pdf
For more information on the signatory projects, please visit:
· LEX4BIO: https://lex4bio.eu/
· FERTIMANURE: https://www.fertimanure.eu/en/
· SEA2LAND: https://sea2landproject.eu/
· RUSTICA : https://rusticaproject.eu/
· WalNUT: https://walnutproject.eu/
· European Sustainable Phosphorous Platform: https://www.phosphorusplatform.eu/
For further information, please contact:
· Francisco Corona (CARTIF), WalNUT project coordinator: fraenc@cartif.es
· Francesco Agresta (ICONS), WalNUT communication manager: francesco.agresta@icons.it
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