Fertilizer Use and Human Health: a Scientific Review.

Since 1948, the World Health Organization has defined human health as “a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.” Reflection on this definition leads one to realize that responsibility for human health extends well beyond the critically important domain of medical science to include many other disciplines. The awarding of the 1970 Nobel Peace Prize to Dr. Norman Borlaug shows public recognition that the agricultural sciences contribute substantially. The increasing use of fertilizer in agricultural crop production has multiple linkages to human health. On the positive side, fertilizers have boosted production per acre, increasing the total supply of food, and have contributed to the quality of food and its content of essential trace elements. But fertilizer use has also led to other changes that range from benign to potentially harmful. These issues include non-nutritive substances in the food chain, nitrate in food and drinking water, and air and water quality. Increased production of the crops most responsive to fertilizer has also changed the mix of crops produced and their match to the nutritional needs of the human family. The mission of agriculture is to supply foods that nourish human health. The current role of fertilizers in supporting that mission is large, and the opportunities to expand it even further are also substantial. The fertilizer industry is preparing a publication reviewing the full range of the issues, drawing on a wide array of fields of expertise, including medicine, toxicology, epidemiology and human nutrition. The intent is to inform the industry, to correct public misperceptions, and to point out opportunities for future solutions from science through research. This presentation highlights some of the information that will be coming out in the review.