Food Energy Nexus: Fertilizer Reality and a Pragmatic Transition

The food energy nexus is often overlooked in climate debates, and the food energy nexus explains why affordable, reliable energy remains inseparable from fertilizer supply and global nutrition.

Few policies acknowledge how tightly food security is linked to energy inputs.

Modern yields depend on synthetic nitrogen made through the Haber–Bosch process—an energy‑intensive route to ammonia that feeds nitrate and urea production. Historical context from the Nobel Foundation and agricultural data from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) show that nitrogen fertilizers underpin harvests for billions of people. A clear, visual overview is compiled by Our World in Data. 

Energy reality matters. Analyses by the International Energy Agency’s Ammonia Technology Roadmap estimate roughly 25–35 GJ of energy per ton of ammonia in conventional gas‑based plants—energy that today is usually supplied by natural gas, which also provides the hydrogen feedstock. When gas prices spike or supply is disrupted, fertilizer output falls and farm input costs rise—pressuring yields and food affordability, especially in import‑dependent developing regions documented by the International Fertilizer Association (IFA). 

Transition pathways exist, but scale and cost remain binding constraints. “Blue” ammonia captures a large share of process CO₂ using carbon capture and storage (CCS), lowering emissions while leveraging existing assets. “Green” ammonia uses renewable hydrogen; yet the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) notes that electrolyser costs, clean power availability, and new infrastructure keep prices above conventional routes in most locations today. 

For policymakers, the priority is to protect food security while bending the emissions curve:

1) secure predictable gas supply for existing plants where needed, paired with best‑in‑class efficiency;

2) de‑risk early blue/green ammonia via contracts for difference and offtake guarantees;

3) expand low‑cost renewables and transmission to cut future green‑hydrogen costs;

4) support smallholders with targeted fertilizer access programs; and

5) raise nitrogen‑use efficiency through agronomy, soil health, and precision application—areas advanced by the International Fertilizer Development Center (IFDC). 

A balanced message helps avoid unintended harm. Environmental goals are vital, but abrupt shifts that undermine fertilizer availability risk hunger and instability. Sequenced decarbonization—combined with productivity gains and smarter nutrient management—keeps farms productive while cleaner technologies scale. 

Energy policy is food policy. Recognizing the food–energy interdependence ensures that climate ambition is pursued alongside affordability and reliability, so the global nutrition gains of the past half‑century are preserved and extended. 

Food energy nexus: protecting fertilizer supply while decarbonizing

Bridge with blue ammonia and efficiency today, invest in green hydrogen for tomorrow, and boost nitrogen‑use efficiency so yields rise even as emissions fall.