Editor's Note
This editor’s note highlights the key facts and market implications behind “Fertilizers: The Food of Food”, with emphasis on sourcing, product fit, fabrication, logistics, or buyer impact.
More than 100 years ago, chemists Fritz Haber and Carl Bosch discovered how to use nitrogen from the air to produce ammonia, a key ingredient for fertilizer production. This invention was decisive in increasing crop yields and thus feeding the growing world population. The FAO has confirmed that if the supply of nutrients in the soil is ample, crops will grow better and produce higher yields. However, if even one necessary nutrient is scarce, plant growth is limited and crop yields are reduced.
Classification of Fertilizers
There are several ways to classify fertilizers: Origin: Organic (plant and animal sources), mineral, and organo-mineral mixtures. Composition: Nitrogen (N), phosphate (P), potash (K), and NPK mixtures (e.g., 15-15-15) plus micronutrients (Zn, B, Mg). Form and technology: Granulated and liquid/fertigation and foliar. Conventional and controlled-release.
Smart Nutrition
Smart nutrition is based on four principles: Source: Supply what works best for each crop and soil. Dose: Use the right amount, neither more nor less. Timing: Act at the appropriate time. Place: Identify where the plant and soil absorb the food. Programs like Mentes Fértiles — which Procultivos ANDI leads in Colombia — provide farmers with concepts and tools for smart nutrition of their crops.
National Industry
Colombia is not self-sufficient in the production of basic raw materials (such as ammonia, urea, potassium, or phosphorus), but it does have a very strong installed capacity for formulation, innovation, mixing, and granulation of fertilizers. This has allowed it to ensure fertilizer supply and cushion the rise in international prices during situations such as the pandemic, the Ukraine-Russia and Middle East wars, and international logistics crises.
Individuals and legal entities interested in importing, manufacturing, formulating, packaging, and/or marketing fertilizers must register with the Colombian Agricultural Institute (ICA) and undergo a rigorous evaluation process to demonstrate the efficacy, safety, and availability — among other factors — of the fertilizer in question. In other words, they must go through strict steps that ensure the product's safety and effectiveness before it reaches the market.
Complementarity with Biofertilizers
Fertilizers from plant and animal sources (biofertilizers) are another tool for crop nutrition. In many cases, and according to soil analysis recommendations, their use should be complemented with mineral fertilizers to enhance results. Although the biofertilizer market is growing rapidly, it still faces regulatory, logistical, and adoption challenges. Therefore, joint work between the public sector, companies, and academia is necessary to harness its immense potential. We compiled this basic information about fertilizers in the following infographic, which we invite you to download and share with those interested in learning more about the fascinating universe of these key inputs for humanity.
Source: Read the original article | Published: April 26, 2026