Show Notes
In this episode, Stephen and Ewan dive into the growing fuel and fertiliser crisis and what it really means for modern farming. As costs rise and pressure builds, the conversation uncovers a deeper issue: the heavy reliance on nitrogen fertiliser as an energy product, leaving farmers exposed to global oil markets. What seems like a pricing problem quickly reveals itself as a system-wide challenge impacting profitability, soil health, and long-term resilience.
Through the EFA lens, Ewan explains how shifting focus to soil biology, carbon, and mineral balance can reduce input dependency and rebuild control at the farm level. From producing nitrogen naturally within the soil to questioning decades of conventional practice, the episode highlights a clear opportunity—those willing to rethink their system can lower costs, improve performance, and future-proof their farms.
We discuss:• Why fertiliser prices are tied directly to the fuel crisis• How nitrogen functions as “energy in a bag”• The lack of correlation between fertiliser use and profit• How soil biology can replace synthetic inputs• Why many farmers feel stuck in the current system• The opportunity to reduce costs and regain control
More from EcoFarm Aotearoa
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The questions keep coming! In Part 2 of our farming Q&A, we continue answering your comments, challenging conventional thinking and digging deeper into some of the biggest conversations around modern agriculture.