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The Climate Question: Can fertilisers go green?

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14/04/2024 GMT

Can fertilisers go green?

BBC World Service - The Climate Question, Can fertilisers go green?

Synthetic fertilisers help crops but wreck the climate. Can we make better versions?

Synthetic fertilisers such as ammonia are great for crops, but terrible for the climate. Graihagh Jackson meets the businesses trying to make better versions.

Ammonia has revolutionised the way we produce our food, helping us to grow much, much more... But it’s also helping to grow global greenhouse gas emissions too. 

Synthetic fertilisers are actually responsible for around 5% of the planet-warming gases going into the air - that’s more than deforestation.

In this episode, Graihagh Jackson examines this challenge that modern agriculture poses to the climate, and finds out whether it’s possible to cut emissions from fertiliser use without cutting food production at the same time. She’ll also be joined by local reporters in Kenya to hear about innovative projects aiming to tackle this problem and turn farming green. 

Do you have a climate question you’d like answered? E-mail us: theclimatequestion@bbc.com 

Presenter: Graihagh Jackson 
Reporters in Kenya: Michael Kaloki and James Gitaka 
Producer: Ben Cooper 
Researcher: Octavia Woodward 
Production co-ordinator: Brenda Brown 
Sound engineer: Tom Brignell
Editors: Simon Watts and Sophie Eastaugh

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