More Food for More People

As the population – and, therefore, demand for food – grows, our planet’s supply of land that is usable for farming remains finite. This presents farmers and growers with an unprece-dented challenge: How will we feed an increasingly hungry world? Nitrogen is an important part of the answer.

The Food Plants Need

Of all the nutrients plants need, nitrogen is the most vital for growth. But most plants can absorb nitrogen only through soil. By applying nitrogen fertilizer every year, farmers can maintain soil health, promote healthy plant growth and increase yields.

Today, commercial fertilizer makes possible over one-half of the world's food supply, and nitrogen fertilizer has allowed farmers to grow more food on the same amount of land. Consider this: today, less than 15 percent of the world’s total land area is used for farming. If we had to provide for today’s population using pre-industrial farming practices, we’d need four times as much land, or almost half of all the ice-free land on Earth. Instead, we’ve been able to preserve vast amounts of land for other purposes, including one of its most important roles – sequestering carbon. Through this process, carbon is stored in the leaves, stems and roots of trees, instead of in the air as a greenhouse gas. Forests are the United States’ most important source of carbon sequestration, making up 90 percent of the country’s carbon sink and storing 10 percent of CO₂ emissions.