By&nbspMagnolia Tovar, Head of the ‘Technologies and Impact’ division at the think tank ‘Future Cleantech Architects’, and a trained chemical engineer Published on 04/05/2026 – 11:13 GMT+2 Half of the world’s population is alive thanks to synthetic fertilisers. At the heart of modern agriculture lies ammonia. It is the key ingredient used to produce nitrogen fertilizers which sustain crop yields across the globe. Developed in the early 20th century by German scientists, Fritz Haber and Carl Bosch, the industrial synthesis of ammonia transformed food systems and supported unprecedented population growth worldwide. It also helped turn Europe into a global leader…