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United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs Sustainable Development

Baltic Sea Regional Nutrient Recycling Strategy

Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission (Helsinki Commission - HELCOM) (
Intergovernmental organization
)
#SDGAction50351
Description
Description

HELCOM Contracting Parties adopted the Baltic Sea Regional Nutrient Recycling Strategy in the Lübeck Ministerial Meeting in October 2021 as one of the associated action documents to the main regional strategic programme of measures, the 2021 Baltic Sea Action Plan (BSAP). The vision of the Nutrient Recycling Strategy is that nutrients are managed sustainably in all HELCOM countries, securing the productivity of agriculture and minimizing nutrient loss to the Baltic Sea environment through efficient use of nutrients and cost-effective nutrient recycling.

The Strategy includes six objectives: being a model area for nutrient recycling, reducing environmental impacts, safe nutrient recycling, knowledge exchange and awareness raising, creating business opportunities and improving policy coherence. The objectives contain sub-objectives and possible measures to be implemented by the HELCOM Contracting Parties by 2027, and each objective of the Strategy has a prioritized action that is included in the updated BSAP. The 2021 BSAP actions have individual target years, are identified as supporting action or measure, have dedicated criteria for achievement, one or several HELCOM bodies responsible for taking the work on the action forward and are linked to relevant pressures and human activities in the region. The progress of implementation is tracked annually within the regular work of the HELCOM subsidiary bodies as well as with HELCOM Explorer in 2025 and 2029. The effect of implementation is tracked with HELCOM joint monitoring, indicators and assessments.

Expected Impact

According to the Baltic Sea Regional Nutrient Recycling Strategy, circular economy is one of the keys to more sustainable production and consumption systems of the future, and agriculture and food production rely on natural resources and cycles (SDG 2.4, 17.14). As demands on natural resources grow, we risk depleting them beyond sustainable limits while simultaneously causing environmental problems due to leakage and loss (13.1, 15.1). We therefore need to be more resource-efficient in the way we use and re-use resources, improving feedback loops and integrating circular economy principles (6.5, 12.5). The recycling of nutrients is an essential element of circular economy and sustainable food production.

Nutrients that have leached into the Baltic Sea cause eutrophication, this is the most serious challenge to the Baltic Sea. Phosphorus and nitrogen are essential nutrients to the growth of plants and the food production. The valuable resources turn into a serious problem, when in the wrong place, in surplus to need, and not efficiently used. There is a need to improve recycling of nutrients on land and to reduce their losses to the sea to minimize the harmful impact on the Baltic Sea (6.3, 6.6, 14.1). The measures in the Strategy help to preserve phosphorus resources for future generations (12.2).

According to the Regional Nutrient Recycling Strategy, in nutrient recycling biomass or other matter containing nutrients is utilized and managed by man so that it will end up back in the cycle for the use of plants (15.3). Recycled matter can be used as such or be processed to products, materials or raw materials. Nutrient recycling and efficient use aim at creating a systemic approach to optimal use of nutrients in plant production while also minimizing nutrient loss in all parts of the food system from field to fork (15.3).

Partners

Contracting Parties of HELCOM: 9 countries and the European Union

Additional information

HELCOM Recommendation 42-43/2, Amendments to Part II Annex III “Criteria and measures concerning the prevention of pollution from land-based sources” of the 1992 Helsinki Convention: https://helcom.fi/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Rec-42-43-2.pdf

https://helcom.fi/baltic-sea-trends/eutrophication/
https://helcom.fi/action-areas/agriculture/
https://helcom.fi/baltic-sea-action-plan/nutrient-reduction-scheme/

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Timeline
21 October 2021 (start date)
31 December 2027 (date of completion)
Entity
Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission (Helsinki Commission - HELCOM)
SDGs
Region
  1. Europe
Other beneficiaries

National, sub-regional and local stakeholders in the Baltic Sea region

Countries
Denmark
Denmark
Estonia
Estonia
Finland
Finland
Germany
Germany
Latvia
Latvia
Lithuania
Lithuania
Poland
Poland
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
Sweden
Sweden
Contact Information

Lotta, Professional Secretary