A conference taking place at harper Adams University College in Shropshire later this month will examine the future of fertiliser, with an emphasis on reducing reliance on artificial chemical fertilisers.

As part of the conference, two Nuffield scholars, Nik Johnson and Mark Tucker, will present their reports on Fertilisers for the Future. The pair have undertaken 12-month studies into reducing the agriculture industry’s reliance on manufactured fertilisers and finding alternative sources of nutrition.

Nik, a Lincolnshire arable farmer, owns and operates a business supplying alternative plant nutrient sources to over 100,000 acres of the East Midlands and East Anglia. His study looks at declining global phosphate supplies and measures for more efficient use and recovery. Mark, head of agronomy at Yara, has investigated future sources and production of nitrate fertilisers. 

It is widely accepted that the world must find a way to produce more food whilst impacting less on the environment and using less resources, a process termed ‘sustainable intensification’ by the royal society.

Agriculturalists and food policy experts have said farming must undergo a paradigm shift in order to successfully feed a growing world population whilst dealing with the effects of a changing climate. They stress the need for a reduction in waste, damaging practices and more equitable distribution of resources and knowledge.

Earlier this year, farmers and MPs in Scotland spoke out against what they feel is a developing monopoly in the world fertiliser market, following the partial takeover of Kemira Growhow by market leader Yara. NFU Scotland and MEP George Lyon suggested a concentration of power in the fertiliser markets could have precipitated a rise in costs.

Mr Lyon pointed to figures showing fertiliser prices rose by 173 per cent between 2003 and 2009, compared with a 42 per cent rise in overall input prices over the same period, and stated that this may be down to a lack of competition in the fertiliser market.

The one day event, hosted by Nuffied, will take place on 19th April.

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