As the UK agricultural sector navigates changing sustainability requirements, fertiliser traceability is emerging as a foundation of transparent, low-carbon farming. With CBAM (Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism) set to come into effect in the UK in 2027, knowing the origin and carbon footprint of nitrogen inputs will soon become a mandatory commercial requirement. 

"Fertiliser use accounts for somewhere between 65 and 80% of overall emissions in most crops," explains Conor Quinlan, Yara's Key Account Manager for UK and Ireland. "When companies are looking at reducing their Scope 3 emissions, you can't avoid looking at fertiliser use and the source of that fertiliser."

Several factors are now forcing the issue of transparency. Food and beverage companies with carbon reduction pledges are scrutinising their supply chains, where raw ingredients often account for over 90% of their Scope 3 emissions. For farmers supplying these companies, demonstrating the sustainability credentials of their inputs is increasingly becoming a contract requirement.

Yara is leading the way in this shift by delivering comprehensive product traceability. Each bag of fertiliser carries a tracking number that traces the product back through the supply chain from production to bagging, manufacturing site departure, and port arrival. This end-to-end traceability provides farmers and buyers with confidence in product consistency and sourcing. However, Yara's commitment to transparency goes beyond tracking to independent verification. The company has maintained an extensive auditing process with DNV since 2006, establishing routine inspections across its manufacturing sites. 

The future of fertiliser 

Yara's standard fertilisers already deliver carbon footprints up to 20-25% lower than conventional European products, due to the use of abatement technology in the manufacturing process. Looking ahead, the next stage of its carbon reduction commitment is now underway. From the second half of 2026, Yara will launch PCCS (Partial Carbon Capture and Storage) fertilisers across its YaraMila, YaraBela, and YaraLiva ranges in the UK. With these fertilisers, excess CO2 is collected during production before being liquefied and transported and stored deep under the seabed, removing it from the atmosphere. The result is a carbon footprint reduction of 60-75% compared to current products, achieved without changing the fertiliser itself or requiring farmers to alter practices, equipment, or application rates. So, who will benefit from these lower carbon fertilisers?

"The target market for these lower carbon fertilisers is customers who are typically linked with food industry supply chains and who have established baseline CO2 figures and seek measured reductions within specific timeframes," says Mr Quinlan. "These operations need low-carbon fertilisers that deliver significant, quick reductions while remaining easy to implement."

As well as lower carbon fertilisers, Yara also provides tools to help farmers manage both production and in-field emissions. N-testers and laboratory services enable precise nutrient management, reducing wastage while maintaining yields. As variable rate application technology becomes more sophisticated, this will also support more efficient fertiliser use.

Securing commercial value and future-proofing supply 

Yara's work with major food companies, including a partnerships PepsiCo, demonstrates how traceability creates value throughout the supply chain. These partnerships centre on providing growers and distributors with verified low-carbon inputs alongside agronomic expertise to optimise in-field emissions.

Looking ahead, with CBAM approaching and food companies demanding increasingly stringent sustainability requirements, traceability is set to become a baseline expectation across the fertiliser industry. Yara makes this easier as the proximity of their manufacturing sites in Germany, Holland, Norway, Finland and Italy provides supply chain consistency, while ongoing verification processes ensure year-on-year reliability and product quality. Technological advances are also helping to reduce carbon footprints, aiding efficiency, and transparency. 

For UK farmers, transparency, particularly around nitrogen inputs, is not only about meeting today's requirements. It helps them future proof their farm businesses against sustainability demands that will only become more rigorous. 

The question facing UK agriculture is not whether to embrace nitrogen transparency, but how quickly to adapt. With verified traceability systems, independently audited carbon footprints, and dramatically lower-carbon products launching in 2026, Yara is providing the tools farmers need to answer that question confidently.