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Knowledge4Policy
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Supporting policy with scientific evidence

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  • Publication | 2023
How to feed the world while reducing nitrogen pollution
Global Food and Nutrition Security

An analysis of more than 1,500 field observations has identified a collection of agricultural practices that can improve the use of nitrogen fertilizers - boosting crop yields while reducing environmental pollution.

Two of the greatest challenges that face society are finding a way to feed the world’s growing population and preventing environmental pollution. Nitrogen fertilizers are needed to produce enough food for the planet’s 8 billion people, but it’s possible to have too much of a good thing - overuse of these fertilizers results in substantial quantities of nitrogen being released into the environment, polluting the air and water. In a paper in Nature, Gu et al. investigate this apparent conflict in nitrogen-fertilizer use, and find that the adoption of advanced nitrogen-management practices could allow more food to be produced than is produced today, but with less nitrogen pollution. Moreover, the societal benefits of mitigating nitrogen pollution from agriculture far exceed the costs associated with implementing these practices.