The National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) represents USDA and the U.S. Federal Government in the Global Partnership on Nutrient Management. This Global Partnership was established by the United Nations Environment Programme/Global Programme of Action Coordination Office
The overall goal of this multi-nation partnership is to reduce nutrient over-enrichment of coastal and marine ecosystems and their associated watersheds. The challenge is to optimize the use of nutrients, such as nitrogen and phosphorous, to realize food security while minimizing negative impacts on the environment and human health.
Partnership objectives are to raise awareness and disseminate information, facilitate the exchange of experience and good practice, and encourage actions by all stakeholders. The partnership also provides a sound and efficient means for exchange of information among the scientific community, extension personnel, producers, and policy makers from local to national and international scales.
NIFA has already presented to the partnership the U.S. nutrients policy, which applies lessons learned as a result of combining technical, financial, educational, and science-based regulatory aspects. Issues pertaining to nutrients entail application of the "right nutrient" at the "right time," in the "right place," and at the "right rate." These 4 Rs are critical and require an integrated approach to the whole farm enterprise and the customization of knowledge to address context specific problems.
The Global Partnership on Nutrient Management held its first meeting at The Hague, Ministry of The Environment, The Netherlands, on October 22-23, 2009. Greg Crosby, NIFA National Program Leader for Sustainable Development, is the USDA representative.