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NewReddit101 t1_j1tev6v wrote

Reply to comment by atrophy1999 in Soaring fertilizer prices could see millions more undernourished by Vucea

“You can't just grow plants without fertilizer.”

Lol plants couldn’t grow before the industrial revolution; they just didn’t exist

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unskilledplay t1_j1tl0gu wrote

There isn't enough arable land to feed 8 billion people without fertilizer.

In the late 1800s scientists were modeling that after around 2 billion people population growth would have to stop because there wouldn't be any way to feed everyone. In the early 20th century a bunch of methods to mass produce fertilizer appeared. It was one of the biggest events in human history.

Today you can do the math and determine exactly how many calories a shortage of X tons of fertilizer will cause to global food production.

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