Plants, like people, need nutrients to thrive. And when those plants are crops, they are often given extra — including nitrogen — from synthetic fertilizers. 

Synthetic fertilizers have played a huge role in mass-producing food for worldwide consumption. But they can have impacts that harm human well-being, too. Synthetic fertilizer production uses massive amounts of fossil fuel energy, contributing to the climate emergency. Fertilizers pollute water, and their production generates nitrous oxide, a powerful greenhouse gas. They’ve also been catalysts for industrial agriculture, which is hugely carbon-intensive, bad for soil quality and erosion and has contributed to deforestation.

Although regenerative agriculture and natural ways to restore soil quality and nutrient levels are preferred, some argue that more efficient fertilizer use, and the use of organic fertilizers, can help alleviate the downsides of fertilizers. Farmers can use nutrient sources such as manure and crops that add nitrogen to the soil to reduce the need for synthetic fertilizers. They can also customize the application rate and timing of fertilizers to the needs of the crop and the condition of the soil to cut down on pollution and overuse.

Research has shown that it’s possible to reduce fertilizer use while increasing yield — and saving money, too. Providing farmers with legislation and support to change their fertilizer usage can go a long way toward improving the health of people, our planet, and farm operations all at the same time. However, there are powerful lobby groups seeking to prevent harmful substances from being banned, so this has proven an uphill battle in many countries.

Discard 1 card from your hand, then remove 1 Agriculture Emissions token from your player board.
You may take this action once per Regulation tag in this card's stack each round.

• Nutrient Management (Project Drawdown)

• Can we reduce fertlizer use without sacrificing food production? (Our World in Data) 

• Nutrient Management (Wikipedia)

• Regenerative Agriculture 101 (Natural Resources Defense Council)

• If you grow crops, work with a consultant to switch to regenerative agricultural practices. 

• Encourage lawmakers to adopt policies that eliminate fertilizer overuse and regulate against pollution and biodiversity loss.