New Zealand

The data describe the average use of chemical and mineral fertilizers per area of cropland (arable land and permanent crops) at national, regional, and global level in a time series from 2002 to 2014The data describe the average use of chemical and mineral fertilizers per area of cropland (arable land and permanent crops) at national, regional, and global level in a time series from 2002 to 2015

The gross nutrient balances (N and P) are calculated as the difference between the total quantity of nutrient inputs entering an agricultural system (mainly fertilisers, livestock manure), and the quantity of nutrient outputs leaving the system (mainly uptake of nutrients by crops and grassland). Gross nutrient balances are expressed in tonnes of nutrient surplus (when positive) or deficit (when negative). This calculation can be used as a proxy to reveal the status of environmental pressures, such as declining soil fertility in the case of a nutrient deficit, or for a nutrient surplus the risk of polluting soil, water and air. The nutrient balance indicator is also expressed in terms of kilogrammes of nutrient surplus per hectare of agricultural land to facilitate the comparison of the relative intensity of nutrients in agricultural systems between countries.

Estimated quantity of commercial Nitrogen (N) consumed.

Estimated quantity of commercial Phosphorus (P) consumed.

Estimated quantity of commercial Potassium (K) consumed.

Fertilisers contain important nutrients, such as nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P), which plants absorb from the soil for their growth. With the harvest of crops for human and livestock consumption and industrial uses, N and P is removed from the soil. Continuing agricultural production without fertilisation could lead to soil degradation and erosion. Fertilisers are therefore essential to sustain agricultural production. Fertilisers are also used to improve crop yields and soils. The use of manufactured fertilizers as a regular farming practice began in most European countries in the mid to late nineteenth century but the greatest increase in consumption in these countries occurred in the three decades following World War II. The manufacturing of fertilisers greatly enhanced crop yields and agricultural production, and aided the large increase in the world population in the 20th Century. However when the amount of fertiliser applied exceeds the plants' nutritional requirements, there is a greater risk of nutrient losses from agricultural soils into ground and surface water. The resulting higher concentration of nutrients (eutrophication) can cause serious degradation of ecosystems. With the storage and application to the land of manufactured fertilisers, Nitrogen can volatilise into the air as ammonia contributing to acidification, eutrophication and atmospheric particulate pollution, and nitrous oxides, a potent greenhouse gas contributing to climate change.  In addition fertilisers may also have adverse environmental effects resulting from their production processes. More specifically, nitrogenous fertilisers require large amounts of energy to be produced leading potentially to higher levels of greenhouse gas emissions. In a different way, phosphorus fertilisers also have an environmental impact, since the raw materials used to produce them are mined, therefore potentially leading to landscape destruction, water contamination, excessive water consumption or air pollution. This table contains data on the total use of manufactured fertilisers expressed in tonnes of N and tonnes of P received from the countries. Manufactured fertilisers are also often referred to as inorganic fertilisers or mineral fertilisers. For a definition see 3.4.

Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from synthetic fertilizers consist of nitrous oxide gas from synthetic nitrogen additions to managed soils. Specifically, N2O is produced by microbial processes of nitrification and de-nitrification taking place on the addition site (direct emissions), and after volatilization/re-deposition and leaching processes (indirect emissions). The FAOSTAT emissions database is computed following Tier 1 IPCC 2006 Guidelines for National GHG Inventories vol. 4, ch. 11 (http://www.ipcc-nggip.iges.or.jp/public/2006gl/vol4.html). GHG emissions are provided as direct, indirect and total by country, regions and special groups, with global coverage, relative to the period 1961-present (with annual updates) and with projections for 2030 and 2050, expressed as Gg N2O and Gg CO2eq. Implied emission factor for N2O and activity data (consumption) are also provided.

The Fertilizers by Product dataset contains information on product amounts for the Production, Trade, Agriculture Use and Other Uses of chemical and mineral fertilizers products, over the time series 2002-present. The fertilizer statistics data are validated separately for a set of over thirty individual products. Both straight and compound fertilizers are included.

The Fertilizer archive dataset contains information on the Production, Trade and Consumption of chemical and mineral fertilizers products, both in total nutrients and in amount of product, over the time series 1961 to 2002. The dataset also contains data on Prices paid by farmers expressed in local currencies (as a consequence no country aggregates are available) for single fertilizer products. This dataset is an archive and it is disseminated as it was in the previous FAOSTAT System. No dataset updates made or to be made in the future.

Data on manure storage facilities are gathered through the Farm Structure Surveys (FSS) conducted by Member States accordingly to the specific community legislation. The variables presented in this table are the following: Holdings with manure storage facilitiesHoldings with storage facilities for solid dung Holdings with storage facilities for liquid manure Holdings with storage facilities for slurry Holdings with storage facilities for slurry: tank Holdings with storage facilities for slurry: lagoon Holdings with covered storage facilities for solid dung Holdings with covered storage facilities for liquid manure Holdings with covered storage facilities for slurry