— Written by Shayna Berglas & Lyle Jarvis

Fertilizing the Future with Clean Technology 👏

Fertilizers are vital for modern agriculture because they are the food for the plants that feed us, but their production comes at a significant cost to the planet. In fact, nitrogen fertilizer is responsible for around 5% of global greenhouse gas emissions!

The production of conventional fertilizers is highly centralized, uses lots of energy, and requires several carbon intensive inputs. The most common method, the Haber-Bosch process, relies heavily on fossil fuels (like natural gas) to extract nitrogen from the air and create compounds like ammonia, the building blocks for most fertilizers. 

Since there are only a few hundred Haber-Bosch plants in the world, the finished products need to travel hundreds or thousands of miles to reach the farms that need them – leaving an even bigger carbon footprint from their transportation. Even worse, the fertilizers that finally make it to the farms often aren’t what’s best for the plants, but instead what’s best for factories and freight. 

Nitricity is changing the game, and working to decarbonize the process from start to finish. By decentralizing production, they’re getting farmers the fertilizer they need with local co-op or community level fertilizer production facilities cutting out huge amounts of transportation pollution.  Even better? Through groundbreaking technology, Nitricity’s fertilizer uses just air, water, almond shells, and renewable electricity!

You might not know it, but our environment is rich in nitrogen—yet plants can’t directly use it. Nitricity’s innovative technology harnesses renewable energy to extract this essential plant nutrient, converting almond shells, an often-discarded agricultural byproduct, into a high-value soil input. This organic, climate-smart solution enhances soil health without synthetic chemicals and integrates seamlessly into irrigation systems. By reducing biomass waste and supporting decarbonization, Nitricity is paving the way for a more sustainable future for farming.

Benefits Beyond Sustainability ✅ 

We’ve been following the Nitricity story for years, and we are truly impressed with what they’re building. As Nitricity has scaled, they’ve evolved to deliver the most effective products to farmers, with the least amount of emissions. By crafting their fertilizers around local markets, Nitricity helps create a more resilient food system, And by using local energy, they’re powering clean jobs across the U.S.

Nitricity is empowering farmers with greater control over their fertilizer use, promoting better soil health and potentially increasing crop yields. They’re also creating potential for clean fertilizer to become morecost-effective for growers across the supply chain. It’s a win-win-win!  Watch the episode below to learn how Nitricity does it.

Presented by Change Forces, investing to create a sustainable climate and improve the livelihoods of all people: https://www.linkedin.com/company/change-forces/.

👀 Some Good News Stories You Might Have Missed This Week 🗞️📺:

1. Charging for Electric Vehicles is Getting a Whole Lot Cheaper (Bloomberg)

2. As Flood Risks Rise with Climate Change, Kentucky is Repurposing Mountaintop Mines into Neighborhoods (NYT)

3. Microsoft Secures 7 Million Tons of Carbon Removal Credits (ESG News)

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