This session will challenge the agricultural status quo to highlight novel technology that has the potential to transform the food system. Synthetic nitrogen fertilizer is responsible for half of the world’s food supply, but it harms waterways, pollutes air, and contributes to 6% of global GHG emissions. Simply using less synthetic nitrogen will result in lower crop yields, an unacceptable trade-off with a growing population.

A sophisticated new solution comes from centuries old microbes redesigned to feed nitrogen to crops. Through the convergence of biology and new technologies, nitrogen-producing microbes can help farmers produce enough food while keeping our water and air cleaner along the front lines of climate change.