{
  "id": 5302556,
  "title": "Agriculture relies on fossil fuels. It’s costing us.",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/03/agriculture-relies-on-fossil-fuels-its-costing-us",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-09-03T10:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "MIT Technology Review",
    "slug": "mit-technology-review",
    "url": "https://www.technologyreview.com/2026/09/03/1143320/fertilizer-prices-fossil-fuels/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Farmers are feeling the impact of rising fossil-fuel prices, with fertilizer costs soaring as a result. The conflict in Iran has disrupted trade and driven up the cost of natural gas, a key ingredient in fertilizer production. Conventional fertilizer prices have skyrocketed, with urea reaching a record high of $850 per metric ton in April. While US production can meet most of the demand for nitrogen fertilizers, some imports still come from the Persian Gulf, which has been effectively closed due to the conflict. Fertilizer trade is directly affected, with about one-third of global seaborne trade passing through the Strait of Hormuz. This closure could worsen access to fertilizer for impoverished nations. Although prices have since dropped, forecasts remain uncertain, with some projecting high prices through 2028 due to the long-lasting damage caused by the war, including the shutdown of 31 ammonia plants in the Middle East and 20 in Russia. Companies like Pivot Bio and Switch Bioworks are developing alternative fertilizers that use microbes to provide nitrogen to plants, potentially reducing reliance on synthetic fertilizers made with fossil fuels. However, these alternatives can only replace about 25% of synthetic fertilizer today, and the full potential of these alternatives is yet to be realized.",
  "summary": "If you’ve had to fill up your vehicle’s gas tank or buy a plane ticket lately, you’ve probably felt the effects of rising fossil-fuel prices. But farmers buying fertilizer for their crops are especially aware of just how far the ripple effects of the conflict in Iran have spread. Fertilizer prices have been on a…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}