Food availability related to synthetic nitrogen-based fertilizer.

A reduction in the production of synthetic nitrogen-based fertilizer would affect the availability of food in the US in the following ways:
-our fast food nation and meat industry would crumble and fall (according to Brown)
-people would be eating much more vegetables and grains, and in turn would be healthier
-people would be using more energy to grow their own food
-the US economy would decrease and the cost of food would largely increase
-in the 1960’s rich nations used about 90% of this fertilizer
-in 1988 rich usage equaled poor usage of this fertilizer
-in the 1990’s poor nations use more than 60% of this fertilizer for growing their food
-Europe/USA can feed people using “natural fertilizer” (synthetic fertilizer feeds live stock).

There would be major effects on food production in the developing world (China) because about 2 billion people are now alive because protein (N) nitrogen in their bodies came from factory made fertilizer. Also natural fertilizer could not support their current population. People in China base their food production solely on (synthetic) nitrogen based fertilizer. There would be a profound impact because countries with limited farmland & high populations to feed rely 100% on synthetic nitrogen based fertilizer for growing their crops.

According to one of my lectures, a reduction in the production of synthetic nitrogen-based fertilizer affects the availability of food for people in poorer nations (China) because they would become even poorer then they are currently. They will need more food to feed all of these people and there will be mass starvation and mass diseases because of lack of land and energy to make such large amounts of food. There would be an increase in death rates and an increase in birth rates.