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ISSN:2325-6192 (print)
ISSN:2325-6206 (online)
Journal of Environmental Accounting and Management
António Mendes Lopes (editor), Jiazhong Zhang(editor)
António Mendes Lopes (editor)

University of Porto, Portugal

Email: aml@fe.up.pt

Jiazhong Zhang (editor)

School of Energy and Power Engineering, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi Province 710049, China

Fax: +86 29 82668723 Email: jzzhang@mail.xjtu.edu.cn

Value Chain-Based Quantification of Embodied Flows of Global Urea Fertilizer: An Environment-Economy Nexus Analysis

Journal of Environmental Accounting and Management 14(3) (2026) 529--546 | DOI:10.5890/JEAM.2026.09.011

Muhammad Yasin Gill$^1$, Jinpu Chen$^{2,1}$, Shazia Qadeer$^3$, Ying Fan$^4$, Xiao Li$^1$, Tariq Ali$^5$, Yihong Liu$^{1}$, Xiaohua Xia$^{6}$, Zhi Li$^{1}$

$^{1}$ Laboratory of Systems Ecology and Sustainability Science, School of Mechanics and Engineering Science, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China

$^{2}$ Institute for Advanced Study in Nuclear Energy & Safety, College of Physics and Optoelectronic Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, China

$^{3}$ Federal Urdu University of Arts, Science & Technology, Islamabad, 75300, Pakistan

$^{4}$ State Key Laboratory of Urban and Regional Ecology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100085, China

$^{5}$ School of Economics and Management, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang, 330045, China

$^{6}$ School of Applied Economics, Renmin University of China, Beijing, 100872, China

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Abstract

Given the projected rise in food requirements for the growing world population, urea fertilizer remains essential for sustaining large-scale food production, despite its significant environmental impacts, including greenhouse gas emissions and water contamination. We develop an updated value chain-based Input-Output Analysis (IOA) and use the FAO and Eora data to quantify the local utilization and global trade of urea fertilizer within the supply chain, assessing fractions for environmental impacts and market trends to inform agricultural practices. The IOA framework explores global urea trade, embodied intensities, value-added, production, and supply chain dynamics, identifying sustainable practices and policy opportunities. Our findings indicate significant discrepancies in embodied intensities and the consumption of chemical fractions across world economies, which lead to environmental issues such as soil depletion and greenhouse gas emissions. Total embodied urea fertilizer consumption is estimated at 142.38 million tons per year, substantially exceeding actual usage, indicating inefficiencies and potential areas for implementing sustainable practices. Key agricultural countries, including India, exhibit trade dependencies that render their agricultural sectors susceptible to geopolitical risks. This work supports future efforts to mitigate environmental impacts and improve sustainability in agriculture.

Acknowledgments

This work is supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (grant nos 72273143, Recipient: Xiaohua Xia).

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