Policies that restrict the use of chemical fertilizers would likely lead to crop failures and could cause a dust bowl like that seen during the Great Depression. This has become a growing concern as countries including Canada and New Zealand look to adopt such policies.
According to Kelly Walker, a former USDA soil scientist, soil needs a transition process that can take years if farmers move from chemical to organic fertilizers. If this process is done too quickly, however, the soil isn’t able to adjust, and crops will lack key nutrients for their growth.
We speak with Walker about this issue, as well as other risks faced with the extreme environmental policies targeting the world’s farms.
