Iran war forces farmers to seek fertilizer alternatives from cow dung to compost
Farmers are turning to manure, compost and biofertilizers as chemical fertilizer prices jump 40% to 50%, experts said.
- Since the war began on Feb. 28, fertilizer prices have surged 40%, forcing farmers globally to turn toward natural alternatives like compost and manure to sustain crop production.
- Conflict in the Middle East has disrupted the Strait of Hormuz, affecting natural gas supplies essential for chemical fertilizer production; global prices increased by 50% according to the World Bank's fertilizer price index.
- In Senegal, farmer Abou Sow applies six tons of compost annually instead of chemicals, while 1.7 million farmers in India have shifted to natural fertilizers across Telangana and Andhra Pradesh states.
- On May 10, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a "national mission" to adopt natural farming and cut fertilizer use by 50%, while governments globally spend $700 billion annually on agricultural subsidies.
- Natural fertilizers sequester carbon in soil and reduce waterway pollution from runoff, while Susan Chomba, member of the International Panel of Experts on Sustainable Food Systems, argues that weaning food production off fossil fuels is essential for long-term resilience.
32 Articles
32 Articles
GazetteXtra
Iran war forces farmers seek fertilizer alternatives from cow dung to compost
Governments around the world are being pressed to find and support alternatives to reduce dependency on chemical fertilizers as the Iran war drives up prices. The Gulf region produces 30% of globally traded chemical fertilizer. That’s caused concerns about food…
Associated Press News
Iran war forces farmers to seek fertilizer alternatives from cow dung to compost
Governments around the world are being pressed to find and support alternatives to reduce dependency on chemical fertilizers as the Iran war drives up prices.
When Senegalese farmer Abou Sow first saw on social media how U.S. missiles impacted Iran, he had the feeling that it would soon affect agriculture in his West African nation. Since the war began on February 28, fertilizer prices have risen by 40%.
Artificial fertilizer has become much more expensive since the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, because a third of global exports passed through it before the war between Iran and the US. But there is an alternative that is closer, cheaper, and more sustainable. An important raw material for artificial fertilizer is ‘simply’ extracted from organic waste in Weurt.
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