A major new campaign is calling on the public to take action on climate change by calling for the government to urgently develop a plan for reducing fossil fuel-based nitrogen fertilisers.

Governments worldwide have committed to be ‘Net Zero’ and to ‘balance the books’ between the amount of greenhouse gas emissions produced and the amount removed from the atmosphere. Achieving the target of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions means slashing emissions from fertiliser manufacture and use but the UK government’s Net Zero Strategy offers no plan for tackling the problem.

Soil Association head of farming policy Gareth Morgan said: “It is shocking that the government’s Net Zero Strategy makes only a passing mention of the impact of fossil fuel-based fertilisers on the climate and environment and even more alarming that they have no plan in place to support farmers to reduce their reliance on them. The production of nitrogen fertiliser is highly dependent on expensive and polluting fossil fuels making farmers very vulnerable to huge price spikes and global events like the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

“Agriculture and the food system are responsible for a third of all greenhouse gas emissions and failing to address this will mean that the government has simply no prospect of meeting its net zero target.”

Nitrogen is a key contributor to climate change. In its active form, such as in fertiliser, it releases nitrous oxide when exposed to soil causing microbial reactions. This gas is 300 times more potent at warming the atmosphere than carbon dioxide – and it remains active for more than 100 years – almost 10 times longer than methane. These agricultural emissions contribute 25% of the particulate pollution in London’s air, 32% in Birmingham and 38% in Leicester in 2019.

Morgan said: “It is vital that the government demonstrates its commitment to net zero by setting a target for reducing fossil fuel-based fertiliser in UK farming and offers incentives and advice to support farmers to reduce their dependence on nitrogen fertiliser and adopt cheaper more nature friendly approaches to fix nitrogen on their farms.

“We want all UK governments to take action on nitrogen, but we are targeting the Westminster government first, as the biggest player, because they have ultimate UK accountability for net zero and the vast majority of fertilizer use is in England.”

“UK farming can’t simply go cold turkey on nitrogen. However, the government and farmers can utilise the decades of experience and research in the organic farming sector – which is not permitted to use these harmful fossil fuel-based products. Organic farmers build natural fertility using nature friendly farming practices incorporating natural fertiliser, crops including legumes and clover in rotations, and a whole farm system approach. This experience can help conventional farmers to reduce their reliance on costly inputs which will deliver significant benefits for the climate and biodiversity.”

The Soil Association’s Innovative Farmers programme has been pioneering extensive farmer-led research across organic, agroecological and conventional farming to increase the scientific knowledge which will help farmers to produce without expensive inputs.

The sustainable food and farming charity is working with a number of farming and environmental NGOs to establish an action group on nitrogen that will press the government to provide the leadership necessary to address this issue.

Climate change survey
A survey by Soil Association Certification to coincide with Organic September found that 69% of UK citizens are worried by recent evidence of climate change and a third 62% want the government, and all political parties, to prioritise policies which address climate change.

But just a third (33%) of the public were aware fossil fuel-based fertilisers contribute to all of the following: the warming climate, air pollution, dying rivers, and poor soil health whilst two-thirds (64%) believe agriculture should be a higher priority for all political parties in their climate and nature strategies. And three-quarters (73%) want to see greater support for farmers to produce food in harmony with nature without relying on harmful chemical fertilisers and pesticides.

The Soil Association is calling for the public to take climate action by signing its ‘There’s no Net Zero without fixing fertiliser’ petition calling for the government to urgently:
set a target for reducing fossil fuel-based fertiliser use in UK farming
support farmers to transition away from reliance on expensive artificial fertilisers, and
support nature-friendly farming approaches like organic, that don’t rely on artificial fertilisers

Gareth said: “Our over-reliance on artificial fertilisers is contributing to air pollution, dying rivers, depleted soils and the rapidly warming climate. Emissions from fossil fuel-based nitrogen fertilisers are contributing to the climate emergency.

“This fossil fuel-reliant system has been a quick fix for producing more food but has come at a huge cost to nature, climate and human health.”

“There is a way to farm that works with nature, for the benefit of people, wildlife, and the planet. Organic standards ban the use of synthetic nitrogen fertilisers. Modelling, by French think tank IDDRI**, suggests that if the whole of Europe switched to an organic or agroecological food and farming system combined with key dietary changes, we could see a 40% drop in greenhouse gas emissions. Half of this drop would result from a cut in the use of fossil fuel-derived nitrogen fertiliser.”

Alex Fraser, an organic arable farmer from West Yorkshire, said: “When you reduce fertiliser use, you align with a system which is inherently more resilient, financially and environmentally.

“Alternate nitrogen-fixing techniques include planting herbal leys that contain clover or using a companion crop such as peas or beans, which draw nitrogen from the air and into the soil. This change in the system helps to future-proof your land, and the techniques involved have additional benefits – removing nitrogen from the air biologically is much more sustainable than relying on chemical fertiliser derived from fossil fuels.

“Companion crops can also be profitable – plus, growing beans increases the volume of protein that we grow domestically, meaning we’re less reliant on imports.

“We’ve seen exciting developments from the Innovative Farmers trial on living mulch, an incredible opportunity that keeps the ground covered, which keeps it cooler, and acts as a natural weed suppression.

“We’d recommend starting small to see how the soils perform and the crops look as you transition – but the benefits well outweigh the challenges.”

Ben Andrews and his dad run an organic farm near Leominster, Herefordshire. He said: “We’ve been organic for over 20 years. For us it seemed the sensible choice for our mixed farm – where nutrient cycling works hand in hand. The transition from conventional farm to organic was not as big a switch as others worry it is.

“It has also protected us from the massive cost rises of recent years – which have proved such a challenge for many farmers. Fossil fuel-based fertilisers have been cheap since they began and everyone expected that to always be the case. But we soon came to realise that you cannot rely on the status quo. It now makes financial and environmental good sense to reduce reliance on synthetic inputs.

“Many farmers have realised that they have to find another way and are keen to work more closely with nature and reduce their reliance on costly fertiliser and pesticides. They will need genuine incentives and support to make the transition but there is plenty of expertise in the sector and a willingness to share this experience amongst pioneering agroecological and organic farmers.

“It is so important that we recognise that you are not just putting nutrients into the ground – you are feeding the soil as a living thing. Do this and you reap the rewards of respecting it with healthy crops and abundant biodiversity.”

Organic is climate action
This year’s Organic September campaign will focus on the message that organic is climate action and that organic has the many of the solutions for the climate, nature and health crises and to support a more sustainable future. It will urge the public to support organic for climate and nature by making one small swap to organic next time they shop.

For fifty years Soil Association Certification has been certifying farmers and businesses to grow food and produce goods in a way that supports up to 50% more wildlife on farms. Organic farming also nurtures healthy soils that store, on average more than 25% more carbon than non-organic soils, and more water, reducing the risks of drought and flooding and helping to make organic farms more resilient to the threats of a changing climate.

* The Soil Association Climate Policy Survey survey was conducted by Findoutnow who interviewed 3,600 GB adults on the 2nd August 2023 and produced a sample of 2,017 respondents which is nationally representative by: Gender, Age, Social Class, Region, Brexit Vote, and 2019 General Election vote.

** IDDRI report: Ten years for Agroecology in Europe. This models a future where farming in Europe can respond to climate change, phase our pesticides and maintain vital biodiversity, whilst providing a sufficient and diet for a growing population.