Nitrogen emissions in Latin America: a conceptual framework of drivers, impacts and policy responses

The paper establishes a conceptual framework for understanding nitrogen dynamics in Latin America, identifying a tension between socioeconomic demand drivers and political/institutional structural drivers. Using Brazil as a case study, it argues that while demand for food, energy, and housing drives emissions, the ability to implement effective policy responses depends on governance and institutional forcefulness.

• Nitrogen pollution in Latin America is primarily driven by excess emissions from productive activities, particularly agriculture, to meet increasing demands for food and energy.
• Analysis of Brazil indicates that nitrogen emission increases are caused by demand drivers linked to socioeconomic factors, whereas the success of policy responses is determined by structural drivers, specifically political and institutional factors and governance issues.
• There is a critical need for political decision-making and institutional strength to create policy instruments that manage the 'nitrogen dilemma' of having either too much or too little of the nutrient, as current policy responses are often non-existent.

APA

Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (2025). Nitrogen emissions in Latin America: a conceptual framework of drivers, impacts and policy responses. https://iai.int/es/pub_acad/nitrogen-emissions-in-latin-america-a-conceptual-framework-of-drivers-impacts-and-policy-responses/

Chicago

Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research. Nitrogen emissions in Latin America: a conceptual framework of drivers, impacts and policy responses. 2025. https://iai.int/es/pub_acad/nitrogen-emissions-in-latin-america-a-conceptual-framework-of-drivers-impacts-and-policy-responses/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research |title=Nitrogen emissions in Latin America: a conceptual framework of drivers, impacts and policy responses |date=9 January 2025 |url=https://iai.int/es/pub_acad/nitrogen-emissions-in-latin-america-a-conceptual-framework-of-drivers-impacts-and-policy-responses/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{interamericaninstituteforglobalchangeresearch2025nitrogen, author = {{Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research}}, title = {{Nitrogen emissions in Latin America: a conceptual framework of drivers, impacts and policy responses}}, institution = {Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research}, year = {2025}, month = jan, url = {https://iai.int/es/pub_acad/nitrogen-emissions-in-latin-america-a-conceptual-framework-of-drivers-impacts-and-policy-responses/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }