Environmental footprint family to address local to planetary sustainability and deliver on the SDGs

peer-reviewedThe number of publications on environmental footprint indicators has been growing rapidly, but with limited efforts to integrate different footprints into a coherent framework. Such integration is important for comprehensive understanding of environmental issues, policy formulation and assessment of trade-offs between different environmental concerns. Here, we systematize published footprint studies and define a family of footprints that can be used for the assessment of environmental sustainability. We identify overlaps between different footprints and analyse how they relate to the nine planetary boundaries and visualize the crucial information they provide for local and planetary sustainability. In addition, we assess how the footprint family delivers on measuring progress towards Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), considering its ability to quantify environmental pressures along the supply chain and relating them to the water-energy-food-ecosystem (WEFE) nexus and ecosystem services. We argue that the footprint family is a flexible framework where particular members can be included or excluded according to the context or area of concern. Our paper is based upon a recent workshop bringing together global leading experts on existing environmental footprint indicators

Phosphorus use in Europe

International audienc

Trends in Phosphorus research over the last four decades

International audienc

D1.1 Report on the flow assessment, logistics and characterisation of animal manure and by-products

This study was carried out as part of the European demonstration project FERTIMANURE funded by the H2020 Programme (project number 862849) titled Innovative nutrient recovery from secondary sources – Production of high-added value FERTIlisers from animal MANURE. The work carried out for this deliverable is part of FERTIMANURE work package 1 (WP1), of FERTIMANURE framework. This deliverable is based on the activities of Task 1.1 Flow assessment, logistics and characterisation of animal manure and by-products. This task and deliverable, led by LEITAT, has the main objective of identifying and quantifying current manure production in the participating European Union (EU) countries and regions. Firstly, an overview of manure nutrient production for the whole of Europe is addressed. This is partly based on the thorough work of the Nutri2Cycle project (H2020). The FERTIMANURE project takes advantage of this valuable resource as the starting point for a more detailed analysis at the level of the participating regions, which is the special added value the present deliverable 1.1. The following sections provide detailed information about the amounts and nutrient flows of manure resources in the EU regions considered in FERTIMANURE. These sections compile data from EU countries where FERTIMANURE has pilot plants, formatted in a standardized format for unification and processing in order to have a complete vision of manure generation and management costs. On the one hand, this has involved providing data on livestock densities in each region and the amounts of nutrients generated by the sector in each regional case. This first activity has the objective of quantifying and detecting the flows of manure resources in the project regions where livestock farming intensification is generating large amounts of manure. This is accompanied by informative maps of the animal densities and nutrient densities within each region. Next, detailed information is given about the chemical composition of the considered livestock manures (cow, pig, and chicken). This is data provided by each partner, and helps characterize the differences between EU regions and the particularities of manure management in this regard. Finally, data on current manure treatments and transport costs was compiled. This information can be used to contrast treatment options with transport out of nutrient hot spots and the costs of operation and business models considered in the project. Due to the inclusion of CELAC partners, information from Argentina has been collected and reported in Annex II, so that the information may be exploited in the CELAC region.H2020 (Grant no. 862849

Phosphorus recovery and reuse

This chapter identifies the possible phosphorus flows that might be intercepted in recovery and reuse efforts. It examines current practices of phosphorus intercepting from landfills, waterways, and non-arable lands. It explores possibilities of retrofitting or reinventing physical infrastructure to enhance interception and recovery of phosphorus from waste streams of humans and livestock. It also considers the allied benefits and trade-offs obtained with phosphorus recovery and reuse projects.</p

Phosphorus management in Europe in a changing world

Food production in Europe is dependent on imported phosphorus (P) fertilizers, but P use is inefficient and losses to the environment high. Here, we discuss possible solutions by changes in P management. We argue that not only the use of P fertilizers and P additives in feed could be reduced by fine-tuning fertilization and feeding to actual nutrient requirements, but also P from waste has to be completely recovered and recycled in order to close the P balance of Europe regionally and become less dependent on the availability of P-rock reserves. Finally, climate-smart P management measures are needed, to reduce the expected deterioration of surface water quality resulting from climate-change-induced P loss

Exploration of the potential of elephant manure as fertilizer and/or soil improver : : deliverable D4.5 : evaluation of sideflows for upcycling, soil improvement and fertilizing resource: elephant manurexDeliverable D4.5 : evaluation of sideflows for upcycling, soil improvement and fertilizing resource: elephant manurex

Elephants in Artis Zoo (Amsterdam, the Netherlands) produce high quantities of manure daily, which is currently being discarded as waste. Potentially, elephant manure could be used as a fertiliser and/or soil improver. To explore this, an aerobic incubation experiment was carried out in the laboratory. Results were evaluated by modelling, using default values of dairy cow slurry (DCS) for comparison. It was hypothesised that 1) elephant manure would mineralise slowly and, 2) release relatively small amounts of N compared to dairy cow slurry. The carbon content and C:N-ratio in elephant manure were 419 g kg-1 and 36:1, respectively. The estimated humification coefficient of elephant manure was 0.32, indicating faster mineralisation than of DCS in The Netherlands (0.7). Modelling the results showed that after 10 years of annual additions of 100 kg Norg ha-1, total carbon build-up from elephant manure and DCS was ca. 4800 and 6800 kg ha-1, and total nitrogen mineralisation was 540 and 490 kg N ha-1, respectively. The higher mineralisation rate from elephant manure compared to DCS could be due to occurrence of priming during the incubation experiment and/or different qualities of organic matter fractions. It was concluded from this experiment that elephant manure could be suitable as both a soil improver and fertiliser, and recommendations for follow-up research are given

D6.3 Inventory of stakeholder groups relevant for BBFs and market uptake – 1st version

The FERTIMANURE project includes 20 partners from 7 EU countries, Argentina and Chile. EU countries participating in the project include France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Belgium, The Netherlands, and Croatia (Figure 1). CELAC region is represented by Argentina. The project consortium is geographically well distributed across the Member States of the EU-27 with an intention to cover diverse range of agricultural and nutrient management practices and includes stakeholders with different knowledge background and fertiliser needs. CELAC region is represented by the largest CELAC member state – Argentina. The main objective of FERTIMANURE is to develop, integrate, test, and validate innovative nutrient management strategies to efficiently recover mineral nutrients and other relevant products with agronomic value (organic amendments and biostimulants) from animal manure, to finally obtain reliable and safe fertilisers that can compete in the European fertilisers market.H2020 (Grant no. 862849

Greening the global phosphorus cycle : How green chemistry can help achieve planetary P sustainability

The sustainability of global phosphorus (P) use is emerging as a major societal goal to secure future food, energy, and water security for a growing population. Phosphate rock (PR) is a critical raw material whose inefficiency of use is leading to widespread eutrophication and uncertainties about supplies of affordable fertilizers. Green chemistry and green engineering can be applied to help close the global P cycle by addressing three sustainability challenges: (1) consume less PR and with greater efficiency, (2) minimise P losses and generation of waste P that can no longer be re-used, and (3) set economically, socially and environmentally acceptable P sustainability targets to lower P demand. Greater precision in P use by the agriculture sector (the main P flow) supported by smarter PR mining and processing technology could greatly improve global P use efficiency. Emerging bio-based and green chemical technologies could be more widely applied to enhance first- and second-generation valorization of low-grade PR ores, manures, by-products and residues to provide renewable secondary sources of P and other essential elements and compounds. All sectors of society have the potential to lower their P demands, and all production systems could be redesigned to facilitate recovery and recycling of P. Collectively these 'green engineering' actions at sector and regional level can help achieve planetary P sustainability.</p

The future of phosphorus in our hands

We live in a global phosphorus (P) system paradox. P access is becoming increasingly limiting, leading to food insecurity but at the same time an over-application or abundance of P in many agricultural and urban settings is causing environmental degradation. This has been recognised in the academic literature and at regulatory levels, but swift action and multi-level cooperation of all stakeholders is required to ensure the economically, environmentally and socially responsible use of P. To provide foundations for future cooperation, a conceptual model describing the elements of P need, P availability and P use in different systems and at different scales was developed during the Young Scientists Workshop in P Week 2014 in Montpellier, France. Here we describe our extended conceptual model and a theoretical P balance calculation tool for describing multi-scale P balances and imbalances to impartially advise all stakeholders on more sustainable P use across the world