Conventional Farmers Turn to Organic Fertilizer

At the Kellogg Conference, I've heard anecdotally that conventional farmers are turning to organic fertilizers, because of the shortage and spike in prices in conventional fertilizers made with fossil fuel. If anyone knows more about this please let me know or post a comment.

- Samuel Fromartz

Comments

[Michael Sieverts]

Sam:

I was surprised to see this article in the Times a few days ago-- so uncritical of the use of fertilizer. i haven't seen yet whether any organic farmers have responded, but it contains some pretty nasty assumptions.

michael

[Sam Fromartz]

Michael, thanks. Well, they pointed out issues with fertilizer at the end, but didn't really talk about alternatives. In most of the global south, fertilizer use is still a rarity because of cost. Now it's even more of a rarity.

[Ed Bruske]

anecdotally, I heard Jimmy Carter (still farmer) on NPR say that phosphate had gone from less than $300 a ton to more than $1,000 a ton.