Iran War Threatens Vital Supplies for Feeding the World
Nitrogen fertilizer underpins about half of global food production.
A farmer fills fertilizer into a tractor in Japan.
Photographer: Buddhika Weerasinghe/BloombergWelcome to the Business of Food newsletter, covering how the world feeds itself in a changing economy and climate. This week, Agnieszka de Sousa looks at fertilizer disruptions and why they matter to food supplies. Any tips or feedback? Email us here. And if you aren’t yet signed up to receive this newsletter, please do so here.
More than a century ago, two German scientists devised a process that takes nitrogen from the air and hydrogen to nourish farmland. Fed by natural gas, the Haber-Bosch technology went on to fuel a boom in crop yields and help alleviate global hunger. Now, food’s link to energy supplies is again getting tested by the Iran conflict.