, Columnist
To Solve the Fertilizer Crisis, Just Look in the Toilet
Human waste could be a huge source of agricultural nutrients as the costs of synthetics soar. All it would take are improvements in sewage treatment and some big changes in attitudes.
Gold mine.
Photographer: Cheney Orr/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
Record-high prices for synthetic fertilizers are making manure a hot commodity.
With global food supplies under extreme pressure, fertilizer of any kind is critical to boosting yields and averting food scarcity. Animal manure is part of the solution, and its value has soared in recent weeks.