• a too low mineralisation level compared with the needs of the plant
• a non-synchronization of the mineralisation, resulting in a too early or too late supply
• sometimes large intermediate losses from mineralisation before the crop uptake 

The possibilities for the organic grower for fertilization under specific unfavorable conditions or as side dressing during the season are very limited, because the organic fertilizers that are available in organic agriculture such as compost, manure, slurry etc. are not suitable for these purposes.

Unexpected events such as BSE (Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy), avian flu, PCB's, hormone and antibiotic scandals have made the application of the other alternatives such as feathermeal, bonemeal, blood meal, fish meal, etc. are questionable or at least may undermine the confidence of the consumer of organic products. When they would be hydrolised they should be considered synthetic.

- Hygienic problems: blood, bone and meat meal are prohibited in many countries in Europe and Japan because of BSE transmission risk. Recently Canada with the support of IFOAM proposed to prohibit cattle wastes as fertilizer at the UN Codex Alimentarius session in Montreal, 2004.

Feather meal recently is presenting a similar and potentially an even worse problem: Avian flu, A(H5N1) virus, contrary to BSE is relatively easily transmissible to animals and people and is just as lethal. Fish meal mostly contains high levels of PCB’s.

Anthrax, a widely spread deadly bacterial cattle disease, can be acquired by animals and humans through animal wastes like leather (more information on the health issue regarding animal waste fertilizers can be found in the document "The Use of Natural Sodium Nitrate Compared to Authorized Animal Waste Products", available by e-mail to info@naturalnitrogen.com).

- The traceability of organic wastes in general is doubtful. Indeed those wastes don’t necessarily have to come from organic farms. Therefore contaminants like antibiotics and hormones. might be introduced in the system.

Instead NSN is used since more than 100 years and never gave any health problems. Therefore it certainly satisfies amply the Principle of precaution so dear to organic farming.

NSN was never intended to be used in organic farming as sole source of N but only in harmonious complementary synergetic use with already authorized organic amendments using the strength of both types of input to bridge the critical nutritional N-gap.

Complementary use of NSN will be a very positive contribution to soil organism populations and soil organic matter (SOM). Long term research suggests an even greater contribution than when exclusively organic fertilizer would have been used.

Complementary use of NSN will allow the organic farmer to optimize production. This and the access to a more economic source of N will give the organic farmer a competitive advantage in the market place and will contribute in maintaining rural communities.

It has been clearly shown that the judicious use of Natural Sodium Nitrate respects and supports the cyclical precautionary and nearness principles dear to the organic agriculture community. It supports expressions of value and ethics such as: "self-reliance", "biologically robust", "high general standard of nutrition", "enlightened agriculture", "ecology, sensible balance", "excellence in husbandry", "productivity together with sustainability", "maintaining rural communities", "shorter supply chain", etc.

Natural Sodium Nitrate, as an essential but most natural plant food, has proven to be a valuable contribution to the success of organic agriculture in that it will allow organic agriculture to improve in a significant way its productivity, sustainability, its potential to produce fresh food of best quality and to fulfill the logistical requirements to offer a fair deal for consumers and promote local labor intensiveness by shortening the supply chain and promoting national self reliance.

Its judicious use is part of common sense agriculture and reflects biological reality.

Natural Sodium Nitrate is not an "anomaly" but a gift from nature.

Before the introduction of synthetic nitrogen, when the entire world agriculture was basically organic, farmers already used this nitrogenous rock to maintain soil fertility. Natural Sodium Nitrate was used as organic fertilizer before organic agriculture became a world movement.