News » Finland policy brief on nutrient recycling

21.11.2017

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Commissioned by the Finland Ministries for Agriculture and forEnvironment, the Finland Natural Resources Institute (LUKE), with SYKE,VTT and Evira, have published a detailed report, accompanied by a Policy Brief summary (in English), outlining policy changes and research needs required to enable achievement of Finland?s nutrient recycling objectives. Finland has committed to implementingadvanced nutrient recycling processes in at least 50% of sewage sludgeand manure by 2025, as a goal of Baltic Sea action programmes and of theFinland government?s programme ?A land of solutions?.

The researchersconsider that this objective will not be achieved with current policies.Finland currently uses around 11 000 tP/year of phosphorus, compared to26 000 tP potentially recyclable (mainly in livestock manures 19 300tP, and in surplus grass and sewage biosolids, each nearly 3 000 tP). Currently only 5% of Finland?s manure is processed, whereas at least 20%needs to be, in particular to reduce water content (enabling transport)and improve nutrient use.

The EU Fertiliser Regulation revision will bean important facilitator, but is not sufficient to ensure nutrientrecycling implementation. The researchers consider that a ?total reform?of policy instruments is necessary, covering livestock unit permits,animal production guides, inclusion of phosphorus limits in NitratesDirectives Action Programmes, regulatory requirements to replace mineralby recycled fertilisers, incentives for nutrient recycling,contaminants in sewage biosolids, CAP agri-environment tools, researchand data on nutrient flows, and on the phosphorus status of farmland.

?Towards a breakthrough in nutrientrecycling - State-of-the-art and recommendations for developing policyinstruments in Finland?, Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke),Finnish Environment Institute (SYKE), VTT Technical Research Centre ofFinland and Finnish Food Safety Authority Evira, for the FinnishMinistry of the Environment and for the Ministry of Agriculture andForestry. Report in Finnish only. Policy brief summary at www.luke.fi/en/news/efficient-nutrient-recycling-calls-policy-reform

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Project Industrial animal farms in the Baltic Sea Region - sustainable practices to reduce nutrient loads is a part of a long-term campaign of the Coalition Clean Baltic and Green Federation "GAJA", aiming to reduce the negative impact of large-scale animal production on the environment and local communities in the Baltic Sea Region, particularly by reducing nutrient run-off into the sea. The project is part-financed by the European Union. This website reflects only the view of the Coalition Clean Baltic. The Executive Agency for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (EASME) is not responsible for any use that may be made of the information it contains.

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