Did you know that around 75% of ammonia emissions from agriculture come from livestock systems, and 22% from fertiliser.
Your farm can reduce its ammonia emissions by understanding where the losses occur. Implementing a nitrate-based solution is one of the easiest ways to reduce ammonia losses from fertiliser, and if fully implemented could reduce European ammonia emissions by 10% right now.
Yara nitrate-based fertilisers have been made for farmers who want to reduce ammonia emission losses. The benefits are:
- Low volatilisation losses. Nitrate-based fertiliser delivers 90% lower ammonia loss than urea on the majority of farms, established in EMEP emission factors.
- A reliable solution. Calcium ammonium nitrate is a robust solution to minimise ammonia emissions regardless of the prevailing weather.
Why ammonia emissions matter
Cost for the farmer
Ammonia losses represent a direct reduction in nitrogen available to drive yield. Nitrate-based fertilisers provide a more predictable and healthy nitrogen supply
Cost to society
More than 6 billion euros per year are spent on healthcare to treat respiratory illnesses caused by ammonia emissions.
Damage to the environment
Ammonia travels long distances as air pollution and contributes to the acidification of land and water
Volatilisation losses from Urea 13.1%
The use of urea inhibitors can lower emissions from urea by 70% on average, but vary between a 40-90% reduction. *reference: EMEP emission factor
Volatilisation losses from Nitrates 1.32%
Choosing ammonium nitrate remains the most reliable decision for reducing ammonia emissions. *reference: EMEP emission factor
Ammonia emissions: polluting our planet
Ammonia emissions contaminate the atmosphere and pollute the planet. It represents a serious threat to the environment and to human health. Whilst not the most significant source of ammonia emissions, the wrong kind of fertiliser does have a negative impact on biodiversity and on the ecosystem. This, in turn, impacts not only the environment but also human health; by combining with other air pollutants, forming secondary particulate matter, ammonia contributes to respiratory diseases.
Towards cleaner air
There is an imperative to act now to make air cleaner for us to breathe and to reduce the negative impact that ammonia emissions have on human health. The economic argument speaks for itself:
- Air pollution linked to ammonia emissions costs at least 6 billion euros per year.
Yara believes, therefore, that reducing ammonia emissions is win-win: too much ammonia in the air is toxic – for plants, planet and people.
The Yara solution: protecting our environment & health
Protecting the environment is a priority for Yara, which promotes cutting edge farming practices and standards. That is why Yara urges the EU and member states to:
- Prioritise less pollutant nitrate-based fertilisers over UREA ones and to support farmers to do so.
- Promote the adoption of responsible, modern farming techniques and technology – known as precision farming – which lead to reduced emissions and higher yields.
Now is the time to take action in order to ensure that we have clean air to breathe and soil free from pollution, leading to healthier plants and a healthier planet for all of us.
Switch fertiliser
A simple switch of the type of fertiliser we use to nourish crops could make a huge difference.
10% less ammonia
At least 10% of ammonia emissions can be eliminated right now by switching from urea based fertilisers to nitrate-based fertilisers.
Simple changes
Making small simple changes in the way our food is cultivated will reduce ammonia emissions, lead to higher yields and make farming more sustainable.
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Read more about how to reduce ammonia emissions from agriculture
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