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For more
than a century, modern fertilizer practices have been instrumental in
improving agricultural production throughout the world, driven by the
need to meet the food requirements of a rapidly expanding population.
Fertilizers increase crop yields, thus preserving millions of hectares
of land that can remain in forests, native ranges, and wildlife
reserves.
Fertilizers account for at least a third of all
crop yields, sometimes up to half or more in soils depleted of plant
nutrients.
Proper fertilization results in higher crop
quality in terms of mineral, protein and vitamin contents, and
contributes to the maintenance and improvement of soil fertility that is
essential to sustainable agriculture.
The global fertilizer industry produces some
140 million tonnes of plant nutrients annually and employs hundreds of
thousands of people across the globe. |
