Knowing how much fertilizer is applied to different crops - at national, regional, and global levels - is essential for understanding fertilizer consumption and projecting future demand. This information is also a prerequisite to a wide range of other forms of market research and scientific studies. In particular, it helps estimate the impact of nutrient management policies and stewardship practices, and assess risks related to nutrient surpluses or soil mining.
However, reliable data on fertilizer use by crop (FUBC) is scarce, as it is challenging to collect and validate. To address this gap, FAO and IFA have published regular global reports since the early 1990s. The first global FUBC report was published by FAO in 1992, covering the 1990/1991 period. This report was based on a collaborative expert survey conducted by FAO, IFDC, and IFA. Since then, similar surveys have been conducted every two to four years in major fertilizer-consuming countries. IFA has led these efforts since 2008, and to date, this remains the only globally available dataset on fertilizer use by crop and country. The latest FUBC report, published in May 2022, covers the period from 2016/17 to 2018/19, with most data referring to 2017/18.