On Friday 29 May, several farmers, researchers and representatives of government bodies played the game “Nutrient Futures”, a serious game based on the (future) market of circular fertilisers.
Drawing on their knowledge of the market, all participants were tasked with successfully launching their business model. A key aspect of this was building legitimacy and achieving results in collaboration with other stakeholders.
Negotiations took place, partnerships were established, but above all there was much discussion about the role of the various players in the market, what drives them and how this impacts decision-making.
A number of issues emerged clearly:
- Legislation plays a crucial role in bringing about change: sometimes it acts as a brake and sometimes it creates new opportunities.
- Turbulence in the political landscape, both nationally and certainly internationally, has a clear influence on this market.
- The farmer wears two hats in this story: on the one hand, he possesses the raw materials to produce circular fertilisers (supplier) and, on the other, he is a major purchaser of such products (customer). This makes him a crucial player in establishing this market.
- At the end of the day, the end user looks first and foremost at the cost of the products they need, and of course the laws of the market itself come into play here, with supply and demand being a decisive factor in pricing.