Synthetic fertilizers are energy-intensive to produce and harmful to the environment. Nutrients recovered from animal and human waste could drastically reduce synthetic fertilizer use in the U.S. and could theoretically meet 102% of nitrogen and 50% of phosphorus needs for agriculture, a value of more than $5.7 billion annually.
news.cornell.edu/stories/2026/04/animal-and-human-waste-could-slash-synthetic-fertilizer-use-us