EU approves recycled phosphorus for use in organic farming

The European Commission has approved recovered calcium phosphate for use as fertiliser in organic agriculture. A breakthrough decision that opens up the market for high quality fertilisers such as RevoCaP^™, a clean recycled phosphorus product from incinerated sewage sludge. The technology is developed by EasyMining, an innovation company in the Swedish environmental group Ragn-Sells. The decision paves the way for increased yields, reduced dependency on imports, and fewer harmful substances on European farmland.

“It’s very welcome news that the European Commission has approved recovered calcium phosphate for use in organic farming. At last, Europe’s organic farmers will have access to clean, concentrated calcium phosphate that can help increase yields and make more farmland suitable for organic cultivation,” says Jan Svärd, CEO of Ragn-Sells’ innovation company EasyMining, which developed the technology.

Recovered calcium phosphate, including the RevoCaP product, was approved following a positive recommendation from the EU’s expert group on organic production, EGTOP. The Swedish organic certification body KRAV has also expressed its support for the decision.

“The EU aims to increase the share of organically farmed land from 8 to 25 percent within just five years. However, the lack of available nutrients limits both yields and the soils that can be used for organic farming. RevoCaP offers a way to deliver essential, clean phosphorus,” says Jan Svärd.

The RevoCaP product is extracted from the ash of incinerated sewage sludge, in a process that removes heavy metals and other contaminants. The product is particularly suitable as a slow-release fertiliser, which makes it ideal for organic farming. As an alternative to manure – which is available in limited quantities – RevoCaP can help boost yields and make more farmland in Europe viable for organic cultivation.

RevoCaP™ in different formula.

“By allowing products like RevoCaP in organic farming, the EU enables the return of clean phosphorus to agricultural land. This is an important step toward closing the nutrient loop and reducing dependence on imported phosphorus from mines in Morocco and Russia,” says Kjell Sjödahl Svensson, Head of Standards at KRAV.

Thanks to its high purity, recycled RevoCaP is well suited for use in organic farming. Much of the phosphate currently used in agriculture comes from mines and contains the heavy metal cadmium, which contributes to osteoporosis. In Sweden alone, fractures linked to high cadmium levels in food cost society 4.2 billion SEK annually, according to the Swedish Chemicals Agency.

”This approval is a first milestone that the EU recognises product quality as more important than origin. RevoCaP also meets the quality standards required for use in animal feed, but current EU regulations still prohibit it. By updating an outdated annex in the feed legislation, the EU could unlock a green billion-euro industry, close the phosphorus loop, and boost Europe’s competitiveness”, says Jan Svärd.

For more information, please contact:
Jan Svärd, CEO, EasyMining, part of Ragn-Sells Group, +46 70 978 64 74, jan.svard@easymining.com
Debby Porter Laffitte, Press Officer, Ragn-Sells Group, +46 10 723 24 16, press@ragnsells.com

Fact box: What is phosphorus?
Phosphorus is an essential element for all life on Earth. It plays a vital role in plant growth and is used in both mineral fertilisers and animal feed. In organic farming, phosphorus is used as a slow-release nutrient that improves the fertility of acidic soils. This helps increase yields and makes more land suitable for organic production.

Ragn-Sells innovation company EasyMining developed the Ash2Phos process that enables more than 90 per cent of the phosphorus in incinerated sewage sludge ash to be recovered. The recycled phosphorus can replace imports from mines in countries such as Russia and Morocco. EasyMining is currently constructing the first two production facilities in Helsingborg, Sweden, and, together with its partner Gelsenwasser in Schkopau, Germany. 

Currently, the use of recycled phosphorus in animal feed is prohibited in the EU due to outdated regulations dating back to the BSE crisis.

Source: Ragn-Sells, www.ragnsells.com