What do we see?
The chart below shows how the use of nitrogen-based fertiliser has evolved over the last ten years. In 2019, we saw a slight increase in use compared to 2011.
Furthermore, we see that mostly animal fertiliser (63%) was used, followed by synthetic fertiliser (35%). The most recent figures show that organic fertiliser is barely used (1.9%).
What’s the aim?
In a circular economy, we first and foremost want to reduce the amount of fertiliser used to limit the impact on the environment. There are various strategies to achieve this, including training farmers and using new technologies.
We also want to keep the use of synthetic fertiliser to a minimum because other materials are needed for this. The preference is therefore to use animal and organic fertiliser as they allow the food chain to come full circle.
What does this indicator measure?
This indicator measures how much nitrogen-based fertiliser is used in the Flemish agricultural sector. We make a distinction between three types of fertiliser:
- Animal fertiliser
- Synthetic fertiliser
- Organic fertiliser (e.g. compost)
The data comes from the annual report on fertiliser produced by the Flemish Land Agency (VLM).
