ABSTRACT
Demand for food, feed, fiber, fuel and other goods from agricultural land will continue to increase as the world’s population grows to an estimated 9.8 billion by 2050. Since there are physical limits to the expansion of agricultural land, future demand for these goods will be achieved by adopting more intensive agricultural practices, including greater fertilizer use. Fertilizers are used in agriculture to supplement the soil nutrient supply, which is insufficient to achieve maximum crop yields in most regions of the world. Fertilization of agricultural land is consistent with the United Nations sustainable development goals that aim to eradicate hunger and extreme poverty by 2030 because the fertilizer nutrients are required to increase global food production. However, fertilization strategies must be economically feasible and avoid environmental pollution. For instance, recycling of animal- and plant-based residues as fertilizer is preferable to burning these nutrient-rich residues, which has significant, negative impacts on the environment, local economies and human health. The objective of this chapter is to present fertilization strategies that promote sustainable food production, and minimize the negative environmental impacts of fertilizer use.
