Regions around the world where intensive agriculture is practised rely heavily on imports of animal feed and fertilisers. Whilst the food produced in this way largely ends up on plates outside the region, the so-called ‘residues’ of the production chain – such as wastewater and slurry – remain locally – a case of nutrient surplus. The district of Kleve is also affected by this, as demonstrated by a recently published study by a team led by Professor Dr Florian Wichern.
Juliette Photography
Bernou Zoë van der Wiel, a researcher and point of contact for local farmers and businesses, from Rhine-Waal University of Applied Sciences
The professor of soil science and plant nutrition and the PhD student Bernou Zoë van der Wiel from Rhine-Waal University of Applied Sciences, together with colleagues from the Netherlands, examined the entire supply chain from producer to consumer and analysed the flows of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium across the whole district of Kleve. Professor Wichern explains: “Our study confirms that there is an annual surplus of these nutrients, and this has negative consequences that contribute to damage to water bodies and the loss of biodiversity.” Van der Wiel adds: “In an ideal world, of course, we would only produce locally what is consumed locally, but that does not, of course, reflect reality, as many regions rely on food imports and the Lower Rhine has great potential to produce food for other regions.”
