While attention was focused on efforts Of the European Union to reduce imports over the past years Russian gas and oil, one important product has gone almost unnoticed: fertilizer.
Rusija is one of the world's largest producers and exporters of fertilizers used by farmers and food producers, he writes Deutsche Welle (DW).
Although the EU has largely removed Russian oil and gas from its import list, since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, it has significantly increased its purchases of Russian fertilizer. Russia's share of fertilizer imports into the EU increased from 17 percent in 2022 to around 30 percent today. In 2024 alone, imports increased by more than 33 percent, reaching about 2 billion dollars (1,75 billion euros).
According to data from MIT's Observatory of Economic Complexity, in 2023 Russia exported fertilizers worth a total of $15,3 billion, making it the largest exporter in the world. Although its main partners are India and Brazil, the EU as a whole accounts for a significant part of Russian exports — about 13 percent in 2023.
However, at the beginning of this month, the European Parliament supported the European Commission's proposal to introduce a 6,5 percent tariff on fertilizer imports from Russia and Belarus. The plan is to gradually increase tariffs to 50 percent by 2028.
Why does the EU buy so much Russian? đshave?
This can be partly explained by the type of fertilizer that Russia produces and the way in which it is produced. Russia specializes in nitrogenous, i.e., inorganic fertilizers, the production of which requires huge amounts of natural gas — both as a raw material and as an energy source in the production process. Many EU countries need these fertilizers because they are rich in nitrogen and key nutrients like phosphorus and potassium.
William Moseley, a geography professor at Macalester College in the US and a member of the UN's team of experts on food security and nutrition, told DW that Russia is particularly well-suited to meet this demand because it uses cheap gas to produce fertilizer, which allows it to offer lower prices than European competitors.
The European fertilizer sector has strongly criticized what some call Russian "dumping" — the placing of cheap fertilizer on the EU market.
When energy prices in Europe skyrocketed and markets were disrupted due to the invasion of Ukraine and sanctions, many European producers of nitrogen fertilizers were forced to suspend production. Now they have lost part of the market to Russia and are struggling to cope with the competition.
What alternatives does the EU have?
According to Mosley, the EU's plans to introduce tariffs show that it is serious about getting rid of its dependence on Russian fertilizer by 2028.
"This will force EU countries to source inorganic fertilizers from other sources," he told DW, citing China, Oman, Morocco, Canada and the US as possible alternative partners.
Mosley believes other options for the EU would be to rely on its own sources of nitrogen fertilizer — which would be very expensive due to the gas requirement — or to increase the use of organic fertilizer, made from manure and composted organic waste. This option, he added, would be “more sustainable and better for the soil.”
"Although it is unlikely that the EU could completely get rid of the import of inorganic fertilizers, it could certainly change the relationship in favor of domestic production of organic fertilizers, especially if it is done gradually," said Mosley.
The EU itself has admitted that it wants to move in that direction — toward developing fertilizer obtained by processing animal feces and urine.
Christoph Hansen, the European Commissioner for Agriculture and Food, said in February that the livestock sector can "make a positive contribution to the circular economy" through organic fertilizer, because it is "domestically produced, does not have to be imported and does not depend on high energy prices such as gas".
How ćWill the EU plan work?
Mosley believes that EU tariffs on fertilizer, if introduced as planned by 2028, will gradually eliminate Russian imports from the EU market. "By 2028, tariffs will be so high that it will be economically unprofitable for the EU to import inorganic fertilizers from Russia and Belarus."
The EU sanctions will come into effect in July and will specifically target agricultural products that have been neglected so far, including fertilizers.
The announcement of the European Commission states that the import of fertilizers "makes the EU vulnerable to possible coercive measures by Russia and thus represents a risk for food security in the EU."
The reason why the sanctions will be introduced gradually over the next three years is to give EU farmers enough time to find alternatives, especially if they are already dependent on Russian fertilizer.
ŠWhat do the manufacturers say?đači đshave?
In a statement regarding the EU's plan to introduce tariffs, the president of the industrial group "Fertilizers Europe", Leo Alders, stated that the sharp increase in imports of Russian fertilizer into Europe for too long "undermined fair competition and put pressure on domestic producers".
While he called for the tariffs to be introduced more quickly and decisively, Alders wrote that "by leveling the market, tariffs will help ensure that European producers can continue to supply European farmers with high-quality, sustainable fertilizers for years to come."
ŠWhat do farmers say?
However, farmers' associations are not satisfied, as they believe that the EU has not done enough to develop realistic and affordable alternatives to Russian fertilizer.
Cup (Comité des organizations professionnels agricoles) and Cogeca (Comité général de la coopération agricole de l'Union européenne), the two main umbrella organizations representing the interests of farmers in the EU, have published a joint statement calling on the EU to present a clear strategy for diversifying its fertilizer supply sources.
If the EU is really determined to reduce its dependence on Russian and Belarusian fertilizers, the statement said, it must present a "credible and long-term" alternative.
"We cannot afford to further undermine the economic viability of farms or the food security of millions of people across the EU," the statement said.
