UNEP sheds light on the challenges of nitrogen in fertilizers

Synthetic fertilizers have been revolutionizing agricultural productivity since the beginning of the 20th century (Photo Credit: Markus Winkler)

The United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) recently published an insightful article on the challenges and solutions facing the use of fertilizers today. The transformation of nitrogen in the atmosphere to ammonia, a key ingredient in fertilizer, has been revolutionizing agricultural productivity since the beginning of the 20th century and gone a long way in combatting global food insecurity. However, this artificial input of nitrogen compounds into our soils, and in turn into our water sources and back into the air, accumulated over the last 100 years is not without cost. In excess, nitrogen is a dangerous pollutant contributing to water and air pollution, and climate change. To read more about the challenge of nitrogen management and learn about the launch of the UN Global Nitrogen Campaign in 2019, click here.

More news

Second INSA workshop in Kenya

The second INSA workshop, held in Nairobi and Wundanyi, Kenya, in November 2023, focused on hydrological and gaseous fluxes of nitrogen in different systems in Africa. It brought together more than 35 people, including representatives of the INSA consortium, researchers, lecturers and students from Kenyan and other African and European universities, as well as stakeholders […]

APDOC take their school program to Kenya!

After a first trip to the Ivory Coast in 2022, the organisation Les Petit.e.s Débrouillard.e.s d’Occitanie (APDOC) returned to the African continent in September 2023. However, this time, Étienne and Zoé, their two facilitators, flew to Kenya where they stayed for 2 months!   This trip was part of the INSA (Integrated Nitrogen Studies in […]

2022 Désertif’Actions Summit

Dr Madina Doumbia and Dr Adama Bakayoko, from the University Felix Houphouet Boigny (UFHB), Côte d’Ivoire, recently participated in the 2022 Désertif’Actions summit, held in Montpellier from the 5th to the 8th of October. The meeting brought together NGOs, scientists, local authorities, international institutions, as well as actors from the private and public sectors to […]

Search