Fertilizer producer Yara calls for urgent action to reduce Europe’s dependency on Russia

HOUSTON (ICIS)–Norwegian fertilizer producer Yara is calling on the EU and national governments to act urgently and decisively to ensure Europe reduces, and not strengthens, its dependency on Russia for food and fertilizers.

The company said that a strong European fertilizer industry is crucial not only for ensuring food security in Europe and globally but also for ensuring that Europe can continue to take the lead in the green transition.

“It is imperative that the war on Ukraine does not destroy the work towards a net-zero future. It is unthinkable that we will reach the climate targets without a strong, green European industry,” said Svein Tore Holsether, Yara president and CEO.

“Instead of weakening the position of the European fertilizer industry, which is a frontrunner in decarbonisation, we need massive, coordinated efforts to reach zero emissions, while at the same time reducing our dependencies on Russia.”

Yara noted that curtailed production in Europe reduces worldwide availability of fertilizers which has negative consequences for the global food system.

The company is calling for a EU strategy for fertilizers as the essential plant nutrients provided by mineral fertilizers are estimated to produce 50% of the food grown today and is a crucial step towards securing strategic autonomy in food and agriculture.

It said the package of solutions for the European fertilizer industry should include measures to secure continued access to natural gas as it is key for nutrient production and to accelerate the use of renewable energy as the transition to more sustainable and resilient production requires large-scale investments.

The producer said the strategy should also seek to reinforce Europe’s strategic autonomy in fertilizers with the supply of raw materials needing to be a key priority to avoid reliance on other sources or imports of finished fertilizers from Russia or elsewhere.

Yara also urged the monitoring and control over the volumes of fertilizer coming from Russia and Belarus, especially from Russian as it noted that they have roughly twice the greenhouse emissions of fertilizers produced in Europe.