Few breakthrough innovations have had an impact on food security equal to that of nitrogen fertilizer. The scientists who discovered how to transform the nitrogen from the air into a vital plant nutrient, were awarded the Nobel Prize in chemistry nearly 100 years ago, and it is estimated that around 2 billion people have been saved from starvation in the last 45 years from its use. You may not realize it, but around half the food we eat today was grown thanks to nitrogen fertilizer.
The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization estimates that around 795 million people are still chronically hungry today, and to meet the food demand of our growing population, food production is going to need to increase by 60 percent by 2050. But the conditions for growing this food are more challenging than ever, given that climate change is already affecting yields across the globe. Fertilizer is going to be crucial for growing food in the face of climate change. But it is also possible to go one step further, and find innovations that will boost food production and help curb greenhouse gas emissions from the agricultural sector at the same time.
Fertilizer production and application currently accounts for around 2.5 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, and the industry is constantly looking for new ways to keep this number to a minimum, with improved nutrient management, precision agriculture and specialty fertilizers playing an important role.
About the author
Abdulrahman Jawahery
Dr. Abdulrahman A. Rahman Hussain Jawahery is the president of the International Fertilizer Industry Association and the president of Gulf Petrochemical Industries Company. An engineer of repute and an environmental specialist, he serves as director at the National Safety Council and Gulf Petrochemicals and Chemicals Association (GPCA), and is a founding member of the Bahrain Society for Transfer of Technology.
