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Tackling the Nitrogen Management Challenge: from Global to Local Scales Home Search Collections Journals About Contact us My IOPscience Synthesis and review: Tackling the nitrogen management challenge: from global to local scales This content has been downloaded from IOPscience. Please scroll down to see the full text. 2016 Environ. Res. Lett. 11 120205 (http://iopscience.iop.org/1748-9326/11/12/120205) View the table of contents for this issue, or go to the journal homepage for more Download details: IP Address: 80.82.78.170 This content was downloaded on 14/01/2017 at 03:19 Please note that terms and conditions apply. You may also be interested in: Impacts of European livestock production: nitrogen, sulphur, phosphorus and greenhouse gas emissions, land-use, water eutrophication and biodiversity Adrian Leip, Gilles Billen, Josette Garnier et al. Nitrogen-neutrality: a step towards sustainability Adrian Leip, Allison Leach, Patrick Musinguzi et al. Nitrogen use in the global food system: past trends and future trajectories of agronomic performance, pollution, trade, and dietary demand Luis Lassaletta, Gilles Billen, Josette Garnier et al. A vast range of opportunities for feeding the world in 2050: trade-off between diet, N contamination and international trade Gilles Billen, Luis Lassaletta and Josette Garnier Yield-scaled mitigation of ammonia emission from N fertilization: the Spanish case A Sanz-Cobena, L Lassaletta, F Estellés et al. Potential of extensification of European agriculture for a more sustainable food system, focusing on nitrogen Hans J M van Grinsven, Jan Willem Erisman, Wim de Vries et al. Policies for agricultural nitrogen management—trends, challenges and prospects for improved efficiency in Denmark Tommy Dalgaard, Birgitte Hansen, Berit Hasler et al. Nitrogen footprints: past, present and future James N Galloway, Wilfried Winiwarter, Adrian Leip et al. Environ. Res. Lett. 11 (2016) 120205 doi:10.1088/1748-9326/11/12/120205 EDITORIAL Synthesis and review: Tackling the nitrogen management challenge: OPEN ACCESS from global to local scales PUBLISHED 9 December 2016 Stefan Reis1,2, Mateete Bekunda3, Clare M Howard1,4, Nancy Karanja5, Wilfried Winiwarter6, Xiaoyuan Yan7, Albert Bleeker8 and Mark A Sutton1 Original content from this 1 work may be used under NERC Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Bush Estate, Penicuik, EH26 0QB, UK the terms of the Creative 2 University of Exeter Medical School, Knowledge Spa, Truro, TR1 3HD, UK Commons Attribution 3.0 3 International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA-Tanzania),c/o AVRDC—The World Vegetable Center, PO Box 10 Duluti, Arusha, licence. Tanzania Any further distribution of 4 University of Edinburgh, School of Geosciences, Institute of Geography, Drummond Street, Edinburgh EH8 9XP, UK this work must maintain 5 University of Nairobi, Land Resource Management and Agricultural Technology, PO Box 30197 -00100, Nairobi, Kenya attribution to the 6 — author(s) and the title of International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, Schlossplatz 1 A-2361 Laxenburg, Austria the work, journal citation 7 Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No.71 East Beijing Road, Nanjing, People’s Republic of China and DOI. 8 Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency (PBL), Antonie van Leeuwenhoeklaan 9, 3721 MA Bilthoven, The Netherlands E-mail: [email protected] Abstract One of the ‘grand challenges’ of this age is the anthropogenic impact exerted on the nitrogen cycle. Issues of concern range from an excess of fixed nitrogen resulting in environmental pressures for some regions, while for other regions insufficient fixed nitrogen affects food security and may lead to health risks. To address these issues, nitrogen needs to be managed in an integrated fashion, at a variety of scales (from global to local). Such management has to be based on a thorough understanding of the sources of reactive nitrogen released into the environment, its deposition and effects. This requires a comprehensive assessment of the key drivers of changes in the nitrogen cycle both spatially, at the field, regional and global scale and over time. In this focus issue, we address the challenges of managing reactive nitrogen in the context of food production and its impacts on human and ecosystem health. In addition, we discuss the scope for and design of management approaches in regions with too much and too little nitrogen. This focus issue includes several contributions from authors who participated at the N2013 conference in Kampala in November 2013, where delegates compiled and agreed upon the ‘Kampala Statement-for-Action on Reactive Nitrogen in Africa and Globally’. These contributions further underline scientifically the claims of the ‘Kampala Statement’, that simultaneously reducing pollution and increasing nitrogen available in the food system, by improved nitrogen management offers win-wins for environment, health and food security in both developing and developed economies. The specific messages conveyed in the Kampala Statement focus on improving nitrogen management (I), including the reduction of nitrogen losses from agriculture, industry, transport and energy sectors, as well as improving waste treatment and informing individuals and institutions (II). Highlighting the need for innovation and increased awareness among stakeholders (III) and the identification of policy and technology solutions to tackle global nitrogen management issues (IV), this will enable countries to fulfil their regional and global commitments. 1. Introduction break the triple bond connecting the two nitrogen atoms, and to ‘fix’ nitrogen into usable forms, a Nitrogen (N) is one of the five major chemical substantial amount of energy is required, either elements that are necessary for life, but while nitrogen through high-temperature processes (e.g., during is the most abundant of these, more than 99.9% of it combustion or in the Haber–Bosch process ) or by occurs as molecular di-nitrogen (N2) and is not biological nitrogen fixation (BNF), through the action directly accessible to most organisms. In order to of certain specialized bacteria. By contrast, most living © 2016 IOP Publishing Ltd Environ. Res. Lett. 11 (2016) 120205 S Reis et al Figure 1. Illustration of four key topic areas detailing the interactions between reactive nitrogen and the environment, and options for the assessment and management, as framed in preparation for the N2013 conference. organisms are restricted to using the result of such and sustainable use of nitrogen in regions where food fixation processes: reactive nitrogen (Nr) compounds. production is currently insufficient to sustain popula- These include inorganic forms of nitrogen such as tions with a healthy diet. ( ) + ammonia NH3 , ammonium (NH4 ) , nitric oxide These issues were addressed in preparing for the and nitrogen dioxide (NO and NO2, collectively NOx), N2013 conference (Kampala, 18–22 November 2013). nitric acid (HNO3), nitrous oxide (N2O), and nitrate Four key areas were identified as a focus to achieve - (NO3 ) , as well as organic compounds like urea (CO these objectives: the role of N in food production, N (NH2)2), amines, proteins, and nucleic acids. management, N impacts on human health, ecosystems Releases of Nr into the environment are closely and in relation to climate change, and methods for the related to agricultural activities and the combustion of integrated assessment of N management options. fossil fuels, or, in other terms, food production and Figure 1 illustrates the key questions we have con- energy conversion. After they are emitted, Nr com- sidered in the following sections of this article in rela- pounds are subject to chemical transformation and tion to the contributions to this focus issue. can remain in the atmosphere, hydrosphere and bio- sphere for extended periods of time, circulating between different environmental media in what has 2. Nitrogen in food production been identified as the ‘nitrogen cascade’ (Galloway et al 2003) until the energy contained in Nr is even- 2.1. Nitrogen and food security tually dissipated and it is denitrified back to N2. Natural BNF and lightning supply the biosphere with While Nr contributes to a wide range of negative Nr compounds. However, it was already recognized effects on human and ecosystem health, nitrogen use over a century ago that this is not enough to produce for food production is essential to feed the growing enough food for an increasingly expanding and world population, its use thus requires a strategic, increasingly urbanized population, demanding higher integrated management approach (Galloway intake rates of food production and associated dietary et al 2008, Sutton and Howard 2011, Sutton and protein (Crookes 1898). Chemical and biological Reis 2011, Sutton et al 2012, 2013a, 2013b, Davidson anthropogenic processes have dominated the creation ( et al 2012, Austin et al 2013). of extra Nr globally over the last century Billen The overall goal of global activities such as the et al 2013, Fowler et al 2013, Sutton et al 2013a). International Nitrogen Initiative (INI) is to optimize Populations in parts of the world (usually industria- nitrogen’s beneficial role in sustainable food produc- lized) where Nr is readily available have used it to tion, while aiming to minimize its negative effects on intensify and increase agricultural production, provide human and ecosystem health originating from food richer and more diversified diets, all of which improve and energy production. In order to achieve this, a bal- nutrition compared with the situation in the poorest ance needs to be established
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