The exponential growth of human activities has changed the biogeochemical cycles
worldwide in the last century (Sutton et al. 2013b). The scale of these changes has
increased the necessity to develop joined-up approaches that optimize the planet’s
nutrient cycles for delivery of our food and energy needs, while reducing threats to
social and economic well-being, including threats to climate, ecosystem services and
human health. The emissions of nitrous oxide (N2O), nitrogen oxides (NOx) and
ammonia (NH3) to air, and loss of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) compounds to water
is a direct consequence of these changes. These losses of N and P to air and water
contribute to a web of interlinked environmental problems such as climate change,
particulate matter in air, eutrophication, threatening the human health, biodiversity and
ecological integrity