Why is it in the news?

• The Haber-Bosch process revolutionized global agriculture by enabling the industrial production of synthetic fertilizers, vital for meeting the food demands of a growing population.
• This method involves converting atmospheric nitrogen into ammonia, adding 165 million tonnes of reactive nitrogen to the soil annually, compared to the natural replenishment of 100-140 million tonnes. Without it, the world would have struggled to meet its increasing food needs, contributing to the sevenfold rise in global food supply during the 20th century.

More about the news

• Nitrogen, which makes up a large portion of the earth’s atmosphere, is found in the form of N2, a molecule that is nearly inert due to its strong triple bond. This form of nitrogen is not directly usable by plants.
• However, reactive nitrogen, essential for plant growth, can be generated naturally through lightning strikes or by nitrogen-fixing bacteria in symbiosis with plants. Despite these natural processes, the amount of nitrogen available for agriculture was insufficient, necessitating synthetic alternatives.
• Before the Haber-Bosch process, farmers relied on natural fertilizers like ammonium-rich volcanic minerals and nitrates found in rocks. However, as the global population increased, these methods could not sustain agricultural output.
• The Haber-Bosch process changed this by providing a reliable method for producing ammonia through the combination of nitrogen and hydrogen, allowing for large-scale fertilizer production.
• The process was developed through several key discoveries. Fritz Haber discovered that nitrogen and hydrogen could be combined under high temperature and pressure, but the reaction remained slow until he introduced a
• The catalyst that made the process commercially viable was iron oxide, which was later optimized by Alwin Mittasch at BASF, a leading German chemical company. Carl Bosch’s engineering innovations further allowed the process to scale up for industrial production, marking the beginning of widespread fertilizer use.
• Despite the significant benefits of synthetic fertilizers, environmental concerns have arisen. Excess nitrogen from fertilizers enters the atmosphere, contributing to acid rain, soil degradation, and the eutrophication of water bodies. These issues highlight the unintended consequences of nitrogen overuse.
• Furthermore, while synthetic fertilizers have played a critical role in addressing global hunger, their widespread use has not eliminated food insecurity. Many countries still face malnutrition and hunger, showing that technological solutions must be paired with political and social interventions to achieve sustainable food security.