Synthetic Fertilizers Are Heating the Planet. But There’s an Alternative.

From raising livestock to growing vegetables, farmers help put food on our plates. But agriculture also creates emissions that warm the climate. And the most warming is caused by nitrous oxide, an especially potent global warming gas.

“The use of synthetic fertilizers is the biggest source of nitrous oxide emissions,” said Lauren Snyder, an education and research program manager with the Organic Farming Research Foundation.