Agricultural productivity, sustainability, and fertilizer use

Part one of the report defines terms that are frequently used in current debates over whether or not to use fertilizer (defined for the purposes of this article as commercial industrial fertilizer). It then goes on to review the reasons for fertilizer use, discussing the relative scarcity of the earth"s fertile land resources, the interaction of fertilizers with the basic components of soil productivity, problems involved in sustaining soil fertility, the evolution of fertilizer use, and the relationship between fertilizer use and crop production. It is concluded that the elimination or even the reduction of fertilizer use in developing countries would result not only in the starvation and malnutrition of millions, but also in the increased degradation of the environment through deforestation, soil erosion, and desertification. Part two of the report presents 14 information briefs covering the need for fertilizers, equity issues, and technical aspects of fertilization. Some of the briefs show the value of fertilizers, while others illustrate problems associated with their production and use. The technical briefs discuss fertilizer relationships with, inter alia, soil organic matter, soil erosion, plant nutrient recycling, recovery of fertilizer nutrients, soil acidity, biological nitrogen fixation, soil-borne diseases, pollution of surface and groundwater, and production of greenhouse gases.