Eco-efficient fertilizers: an environmental innovation organised by a corporation and promoted by technology policy

Abstract

This case study investigates innovation processes and networks around the development and market introduction of a new eco-efficient fertilizer. The innovation offers a technical-fix solution to combine effective fertilizer application in modern agriculture and horticulture with environmental protection by reducing nitrogen losses with the help of ammonium stabilisators that show no significant (eco-)toxicological effects. The case study describes the period 1995 - 1999 relevant for this environmental innovation. Just those actors with the scientific competences required belonged to a loose innovation network which one could expect to participate in a cooperative R&D; project with rather strict labour division, well coordinated and cofunded by BASF as its key actor. The innovation process met no serious obstacles in its technical and its social dimension, though finally some retardation in its time dimension, concerning licensing of the new fertilizer. Willingness to compromise was prevalent in case of diverging actor interests, and substantial controversy could be hardly found in the whole innovation process. Respective actors in environmental, technology, and agricultural policy cared for more or less appropriate framework conditions of the innovation project but were hardly involved themselves in the genuine innovation network. Technology policy cared for launching and co-funding the project developing eco-efficient fertilizers especially for economic reasons. Concerning the main research question of the case study, no serious attempts of substantive interpolicy coordination of environmental policy and ecology-oriented technology policy could be identified.