FERTILIZER MANAGEMENT IN POLAND IN LIGHT OF EUROPEAN GREEN DEAL OBJECTIVES

Abstract

The aim of the paper is to outline the problem areas of fertilizer management in Poland, taking the need to achieve European Green Deal (EGD) objectives into account. Fertilizer management is one of the key elements of future agricultural policy, to which the European Green Deal refers, and is closer to the Farm to Fork strategy. The emphasis on the need to promote rational fertilizer management in European documents stemmed from the pressures of this economic activity on the natural environment. The paper focuses on the main determinants of fertilizer management, including the costs and quantities of mineral fertilizers used and the results of the NPK fertilizer balance, using the gross balance and indicator method. The study used Statistics Poland data 2007 and 2016 from the Farm Structure Survey and agricultural accountancy FADN 2014-2019. It was found that, at the level of the agricultural sector, the results of fertilizer balances do not create surpluses and problematic issues concern a significant share of farms with an understated balance of main NPK macroelements. The expected reduction in the level of fertilization under the EGD may result in a reduction in production and economic performance from a farm and negatively affect the state of the natural environment. The fertilizer balance and nutrient efficiency level should be used as measurable indicators for setting reduction targets.

Keywords

• fertilizer management
• mineral fertilizers
• NPK
• European Green Deal
• Farm to Fork strategy
• fertilizer balance