In 1840 Justus von Liebig published his Agricultural Chemistry and within a year the first artificial fertilizer factory opened at Deptford, south-east of London, where a ‘Super-phosphate of Lime, Phosphate of Ammonia, Silicate of Potash, etc’ was manufactured.

A new age was born. Where previously farmers had relied on the recycling of locally-produced waste to keep their land in good condition, they now could access a range of specialized products designed for specific crops or soil conditions. What on earth could go wrong?

Above image sourced from Wikipedia (Author: Materialscientist) under Wikimedia Commons
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