Background
Recent geopolitical conflicts have driven sharp increases in oil and gas prices, leading to soaring fertilizer costs due to the high energy dependence of nitrogen-based products such as urea and ammonia. As a result, fertilizers are becoming increasingly unaffordable and/or inaccessible, particularly for smallholder farmers. At the same time, the overuse and misuse of synthetic fertilizers contribute to soil degradation, environmental pollution, and greenhouse gas emissions.
Together, these challenges expose the vulnerability of current fertilizer systems and highlight the urgent need for more resilient, diversified, and sustainable nutrient management approaches that reduce dependence on fossil fuel-based inputs while maintaining agricultural productivity.
Objective
This webinar showcases practical solutions that enable farmers and agricultural systems to transition towards more resilient and diversified nutrient management strategies. Experts and project managers from different regions presented experiences and discuss a portfolio of approaches that reduce reliance on synthetic fertilizers while maintaining—or even improving—productivity.
Key topics include:
- Local production and use of biofertilisers
- Organic nutrient sources such as manure and vermicompost; and
- Agroecological practices such as biological nitrogen fixation
Speakers
- Ruth van de Velde | Partnership Builder – Netherlands Food Programme
- Hans Langeveld | Director – Biomass Research
- Avijit Choudhury | Integrator – PRADAN
- Dr. Tekeba Eshetie | Regenerative Agriculture Advisor – SNV
- Girma Senbeta | Country Manager Ethiopia – GOPA MetaMeta
The session was moderated by Long Hoang, Programme Manager at GOPA MetaMeta.
