NOVAFERT: Novel procedures and sustainable guidelines to enhance the use of alternative fertilizers

The new Fertilizing Product Regulation (FPR) increases the number of CE-marked alternative fertilizing products on the EU’s market, including organic, organo-mineral and mineral bio-based fertilizers reducing dependency on imported mineral fertilizers. However, the acceptance of these novel alternative fertilizing products requires knowledge sharing among citizens in general and farmers in particular about their fertilizing efficiency and safety.

NOVAFERT aims to guide the production and application of alternative fertilizing products according to the best environmental performances identified. To do this, NOVAFERT will establish methodological guidelines for the assessment of alternative fertilizing products’ production, storage, distribution and application.

NOVAFERT has a regional approach, covering seven EU regions and six different types of secondary raw materials. NOVAFERT will support the development of sustainable local value chains deploying alternative fertilizing products. To achieve this, seven Regional Working Groups (RWGs) will be set up (one per target region) together relevant regional stakeholders according to the quadruple helix model of innovation.

This strategies will be helpful to enhance the uptake of alternative fertilizing products and contribute in the long term to recommending directional guidelines for the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP).

Furthermore, the use of alternative fertilizing products should contribute to improve the nutrient flows, especially from nutrient-rich side-streams, reducing the nutrient losses into the environment.