{"id":27698,"date":"2026-05-20T13:45:05","date_gmt":"2026-05-20T13:45:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rbc.com\/en\/?post_type=rbc_tl&p=27698"},"modified":"2026-05-21T13:29:07","modified_gmt":"2026-05-21T13:29:07","slug":"hidden-cost-in-productivity-why-fertilizer-emissions-accounting-needs-an-overhaul","status":"publish","type":"rbc_tl","link":"https:\/\/www.rbc.com\/en\/thought-leadership\/climate-action-institute\/agriculture-reports\/hidden-cost-in-productivity-why-fertilizer-emissions-accounting-needs-an-overhaul\/","title":{"rendered":"Hidden cost in productivity: Why fertilizer emissions accounting needs an overhaul"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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As Canadian farmers produce more per acre to feed a growing global population, fertilizer use has jumped 108% over the past two decades. That has come with an environmental impact: synthetic fertilizers now account for a quarter of the agriculture sector\u2019s emissions in Canada.1<\/a><\/sup> But the current emissions accounting system is flawed as it primarily focuses on the quantity used. What\u2019s missing in the equation is farmer stewardship of fertilizer use to optimize placement, source and timing that help lower emissions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Crop<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In an effort to optimize fertilizer use, the number of Canadian farmers with a nutrient stewardship plan has more than tripled over the past five years.2<\/a><\/sup>

Rising adoption rates are a sign of climate action. But it\u2019s also an economic decision, especially as geopolitics continue to disrupt fertilizer supplies and raise prices. Nitrogen fertilizers have faced the brunt of supply chain shocks from geopolitical conflicts over the past five years as key producers include the Middle East and Russia. Nitrogen is also the primary driver of GHG emissions from fertilizer use. When nitrogen is not fully consumed by crops to grow, nitrogen can be emitted into the atmosphere as nitrous oxide (N2<\/sub>O) emissions, a GHG that is 273 times more potent than carbon dioxide over a 100-year time scale. When farmers adopt nutrient stewardship practices, GHG reductions can be substantial. An Ontario study<\/a>, for example, found that when nitrogen fertilizer rates are optimized, and technology and practices that improve the source, timing and placement of fertilizer are adopted, N2<\/sub>O emissions can fall by up to 57%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To capture in the accounting the full suite of practices, Canada, and other agriculture producing countries, including Australia, Denmark, New Zealand, Brazil and the U.S., are developing research and industry networks to collaboratively advance N2<\/sub>O measurement and monitoring systems.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

These research-driven networks have multiple lab-to-market applications, including those focused on: <\/p>\n\n\n\n