Enriching the Earth: Fritz Haber, Carl Bosch, and the Transformation of World Food Production

He then looks at various attempts to expand natural nitrogen flows through mineral and synthetic fertilisers. The core of the book is a detailed narrative of the discovery of ammonia synthesis in 1908 by Fritz Haber - a discovery scientists had sought for over hundred years - and its commercialisation by Carl Bosch and the chemical company BASF. Smil also examines the emergence of the large-scale nitrogen fertiliser industry and analyses the extent of global dependence on the Haber-Bosch process and its biospheric consequences. Finally, he looks at the role of nitrogen in civilisation.