26 min

Can fertilisers go green‪?‬ The Climate Question

    • Science

Ammonia has revolutionised the way we produce our food, helping us to grow much, much more... But it’s also helping to grow global greenhouse gas emissions too.
Synthetic fertilisers are actually responsible for around 5% of the planet-warming gases going into the air - that’s more than deforestation.
In this episode, Graihagh Jackson examines this challenge that modern agriculture poses to the climate, and finds out whether it’s possible to cut emissions from fertiliser use without cutting food production at the same time. She’ll also be joined by local reporters in Kenya to hear about innovative projects aiming to tackle this problem and turn farming green.
Do you have a climate question you’d like answered? E-mail us: theclimatequestion@bbc.com
Presenter: Graihagh Jackson
Reporters in Kenya: Michael Kaloki and James Gitaka
Producer: Ben Cooper
Researcher: Octavia Woodward
Production co-ordinator: Brenda Brown
Sound engineer: Tom Brignell
Editors: Simon Watts and Sophie Eastaugh

Ammonia has revolutionised the way we produce our food, helping us to grow much, much more... But it’s also helping to grow global greenhouse gas emissions too.
Synthetic fertilisers are actually responsible for around 5% of the planet-warming gases going into the air - that’s more than deforestation.
In this episode, Graihagh Jackson examines this challenge that modern agriculture poses to the climate, and finds out whether it’s possible to cut emissions from fertiliser use without cutting food production at the same time. She’ll also be joined by local reporters in Kenya to hear about innovative projects aiming to tackle this problem and turn farming green.
Do you have a climate question you’d like answered? E-mail us: theclimatequestion@bbc.com
Presenter: Graihagh Jackson
Reporters in Kenya: Michael Kaloki and James Gitaka
Producer: Ben Cooper
Researcher: Octavia Woodward
Production co-ordinator: Brenda Brown
Sound engineer: Tom Brignell
Editors: Simon Watts and Sophie Eastaugh

26 min

Top Podcasts In Science

Radiolab
WNYC Studios
The Infinite Monkey Cage
BBC Radio 4
Hidden Brain
Hidden Brain, Shankar Vedantam
Making Sense with Sam Harris
Sam Harris
Ologies with Alie Ward
Alie Ward
BBC Inside Science
BBC Radio 4

More by BBC

Global News Podcast
BBC World Service
You're Dead to Me
BBC Radio 4
The Documentary Podcast
BBC World Service
Just One Thing - with Michael Mosley
BBC Radio 4
Desert Island Discs
BBC Radio 4
The Infinite Monkey Cage
BBC Radio 4