Assessing agri-environmental management and inorganic fertilizer consumption using environmental indicators

The Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) is an important environmental indicator that exhibits an inverted U-shaped curve between a specific measure of environmental pollution and per capita income. The environmental pollution risk parameter used in this study was inorganic fertilizer. The study assessed a Critical Environmental Risk Threshold (CERT) value by considering basic variables, such as the amount of long-term total groundwater, arable land, Nitrate Vulnerable Zones and water withdrawal rates. The CERT value could provide researchers and policy makers with new insights into whether or not countries are exceeding their critical environmental threshold points. The countries investigated included Germany, the Netherlands, Turkey, India, Spain, France, Italy, China, Brazil and the USA. The results indicate that the use of inorganic fertilizer in the Netherlands and Germany exceeds their relative turning points above their CERT values and that these countries should therefore review their agri-environmental management policies.