Launch meeting of the International Network on Fertilizers Quality (INFA), 8 - 9 December 2020, virtual meeting Mr. Ronald Vargas, GSP Secretary

1. Introduction to the International
Network on Fertilizer Analysis
Mr. Ronald Vargas
GSP Secretary, FAO

2. The current global challenges
Desertification, drought, Land
degradation
Protecting, conserving, restoring Biodiversity
Climate change – Mitigation and Adaptation
Food security and nutrition
Healthy soils
Soil carbon, the heart of the soil
Why INFA?

3. A healthy soil is capable of providing most terrestrial
ecosystem services, therefore contributing to achieve the
SDGs and human well-being

5. Wise use of fertilizers
• Underuse: poor soils, poor yields/crop
failure
• Misuse: pollution, inefficient nutrient use,
economical loss, crop failure
• Overuse: soil pollution, soil degradation, soil
biodiversity loss, eutrophication, affecting
ozone layer, economical loss, water and air
pollution.

6. Many thanks to all of you that completed the
“Fertilizer quality assessment” survey!

7. Many thanks to all of you that completed the
“Fertilizer quality assessment” survey!
• Questionnaire was available online from April to December
2020
• 168 replies from 65 countries (Argentina, Belgium, Brazil, Burundi,
Cambodia, Cameroun, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Cyprus, Ecuador, El
Salvador, Eritrea, Eswatini, Fiji, Gabon, Ghana, Grenada, Haiti, India, Indonesia, Iraq,
Kenya, Kosovo, Kuwait, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Macedonia, Malawi, Mauritius,
Mexico, Mongolia, Morocco, Myanmar, Nepal, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Oman,
Pakistan, Paraguay, Perú, Philippines, Russia, Rwanda, Samoa, Sao Tome and
Principe, Senegal, Serbia, Sri Lanka, Switzerland, Syria, Thailand, Togo, Trinidad and
Tobago, Turkey, Uganda, Ukraine, Uruguay, Vietnam, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe)
Objective: to collect information on how fertilizes
quality is assessed worldwide in order to support the
discussion at the launch meeting of INFA

8. Survey results

9. Survey results
Not at all but we would like to get the
competency to analyse fertilizers and
amendments’ quality
Yes but only on imported fertilizers and
amendments

10. Survey results
While answering this question, respondents provided information on the
legislation regulating the matter and information whether the legislation
covers quality and labeling.

11. Survey results
The standards of the private laboratory in
charge of checking on the quality of
fertilizers and amendments at the national
level
The standards developed by an
international association other than the
Fertilizers Institute

12. Survey results
Information on the association or organization
responsible for the standards in each country were also
collected together with information on the laboratories
officially appointed by the government to make fertilizer
quality assessment analysis.
These information will be elaborated and published on the
INFA webpage.

13. Survey results
Respondents provided information on the regional or international
associations working or debating on fertilizer quality assessment they
are members of

14. Survey results

15. Survey results
Why yes?
- Soil fertility conditions, constraints and
priorities are different – regional standards
tend to align with local context
- Each region has specific issues and conditions
that global standards may not cover (e.g. the
use and composition of non-synthetic
fertilizers and amendments would vary)
- Especially for organic or recycling fertilizers
that are locally produced – defining global
standards for these fertilizers is not useful
- There is a big gap between developing and
first world countries in terms of technology
and quality control
- Regional standards are easier to implement
and take into consideration socio-economic
and financial conditions
Global standards
can be taken as
reference

16. Survey results
Why no?
- It depends on the government
- It depends on the decision of the
national standard office
- It depends if the method/standard is
well investigated – we need to test it
first
- The method/standard needs to be
adapted to national conditions
- There are already regional standards
available
- It is not a point of having a standard but
to have the equipment and the trained
staff to do the analysis
- National standards are preferred

17. Survey results
National legislations should be
revised in function of
global/regional standards
Laboratories working on
fertilizer quality control will
show little interest in changing
their laboratory procedures
Global/regional standards will
not be trusted

18. Survey results
Organic fertilizers and
amendments/improvers like
manure, slurry, substrate,
sapropel and compost

19. Survey results

20. Survey results
How to make this happen?
- Capacity building (training and equipment)
- Raise awareness on the topic
- Increase controls on fertilizers quality / laboratory inspections followed by the
provision of recommendations and plant-tissue testing
- More efficient value chain / marketing chains
- Harmonization of standard operating procedures with specific mention to some
regional requirement
- Development of fast, simple but accurate test methods
- Improve legislative frameworks
- Proficiency test
- By allowing local laboratories to test fertilizers (not only official governmental labs
should have this mandate). This would allow to check whether fertilizer quality
changed during transportation and distribution

21. Survey results
National capacities on fertilizers
quality assessment are
sufficient
Regional bodies should take
care of assessing the quality of
fertilizers

22. Thanks for your
attention