20 February 2015: The UN Environment Programme’s (UNEP) Global Partnership on Nutrient Management (GPNM) is working to reduce the amount of nutrients in the environment without limiting global development. The Partnership provides a platform for governments, scientists, UN agencies, the private sector and other stakeholders to develop a common agenda on nutrient management, conduct integrated environmental assessments, and mainstream best practices in the efficient use of nitrogen and phosphorous.

Half of the world’s food security depends on the use of nitrogen and phosphorous to grow crops, according to UNEP. Excess nutrients from fertilizers and other sources contribute to air, soil, water and marine pollution and the loss of biodiversity and fish, according to the GPNM, which stresses that such challenges are likely to intensify as demand for biofuels and food increases.

UNEP reports that in Lake Erie, US, run-off fertilizer, power plant emissions and failing septic tanks contribute to an over-abundance of phosphorous. The phosphorous facilitates the growth of harmful blue-green algae blooms, which have resulted in above-average levels of toxins in the water supply. The toxins affect the health of both animals and humans, causing abnormal liver function and other symptoms. According to the US Environmental Protection Agency, these blooms are a “major environmental problem” in all 50 states.

The GPNM aims to reduce the amount of excess nutrients in the global environment by encouraging governments and other stakeholders to move towards lower nitrogen and phosphorous inputs to human activities. [UNEP Press Release] [GPNM Website]