Why is fertilizer important for feeding the world?

This groundbreaking agricultural achievement significantly increased food production and has since played a key role in feeding half of the world’s population. 

With the global population projected to reach 10 billion by 2050, farmers must produce 70% more food than they did a decade ago. Given the limited availability of arable land, the solution lies in improving productivity on existing farmland—a challenge where fertilizers become indispensable. 

Meeting the demand of a growing global population 

As the global population expands, so does the demand for food. Fertilizers enable farmers to produce more crops on the same amount of land, helping meet the rising food requirements. Countries with low crop yields per hectare, if provided with the right tools and solutions, could play a significant role in securing global food supplies. 

In many low-income, smallholder farming communities, access to fertilizers can be transformative. With better productivity, smallholder farmers can increase their resilience, break the cycle of poverty, and contribute to the global food system in a sustainable way. 

Achieving food security means not only producing enough food but also ensuring that it is nutritious and accessible to everyone, regardless of where they live. 

Feeding plants, fueling health 

Fertilizers provide the essential nutrients—such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium (NPK)—that plants need for healthy growth. Without these nutrients, crops would fail to reach their full potential, resulting in reduced yields and diminished quality. 

Fertilizers also contribute to human health through biofortification. By enhancing plants with nutrients like calcium, zinc, and magnesium, fertilizers help improve the nutritional value of food, providing people with vital elements for healthy living. 

Yara offers a wide variety of fertilizers, including granulated products, powders, liquids, and suspensions. Each type is tailored to meet specific crop and soil requirements, optimizing yields while supporting regenerative agriculture practices. 

What are the benefits of using fertilizers? 

Fertilizers provide crucial benefits to both agriculture and the environment, such as: 

• Boosting food production: Fertilizers help increase crop yields per unit of land, allowing farmers to produce more food without needing to expand into new areas, thereby supporting efforts to prevent deforestation. This not only leads to greater food availability in markets, helping to feed a growing population, but also contributes to maintaining ecosystem stability.
• Supporting sustainability: By maintaining soil fertility over time, fertilizers ensure that soils remain productive and healthy, supporting long-term agricultural sustainability. This helps farmers continue to grow high-quality crops season after season without depleting the land.
• Improving profitability: By applying fertilizers using the 4R approach (right source, right rate, right time, and right place), farmers can maximize crop growth while minimizing waste. This efficient use of fertilizers reduces production costs per tonne of crop and results in more and better products to sell, ultimately enhancing farmers' profitability. 

“It’s a magical innovation (fertilizers) that’s responsible for saving millions of lives from hunger and lifting millions more out of poverty by boosting agricultural productivity.” 

Bill Gates, from his GatesNotes blog post "Why I love fertilizer"

The role of fertilizers in regenerative agriculture

In conclusion, fertilizers play a crucial role in enhancing agricultural productivity and ensuring food security. They provide essential nutrients that plants need for healthy growth, leading to increased crop yields and improved food quality.

A key challenge is boosting productivity while minimizing environmental impact. Mismanaged nutrient applications can harm ecosystems, leading to nutrient runoff and water pollution. However, when used responsibly, fertilizers contribute to agricultural systems that provide economic, environmental, and social benefits.