Are we heading for another “food crisis” similar to the one in 2008? Supply of certain foodstuffs is failing to meet demand and the prices of many foodstuffs have been rocketing. Drought, erosion and other environmental problems make it difficult for food production to cater for the world’s vast and growing population. It is therefore important to ensure that agricultural land is as productive as possible, Fertilizer help us to do this and we are relying on them more and more. This article looks at the fertilizer industry whose importance is somewhat overlooked and places it in the context of the other chemical industries. Several grades of stainless steel are essential in these processes, especially in the manufacture of urea, an important precursor for nitrogen fertilizers.