By Faridat Salifu
A Swedish start-up developing a low-emission ‘green fertiliser’ technology that uses only air, plasma, and renewable energy has won the $2 million Food Planet Prize 2025 for its potential to revolutionise the global nitrogen fertiliser industry.
The winning innovation, developed by NitroCapt (short for “nitrogen capture”), was recognised for eliminating the need for fossil fuels in fertiliser production. Instead, it uses plasma to oxidise nitrogen from the air, powered entirely by green electricity. The approach is touted to reduce fertiliser-related emissions and energy use by over 90 per cent while enabling local, decentralised production.
Receiving the award on June 13 in Stockholm from the Curt Bergfors Foundation, NitroCapt founder Gustaf Forsberg said the technology responds to both climate and geopolitical pressures impacting food systems.
“Nitrogen fertilisers are responsible for about 2.7 per cent of global CO₂ emissions, nearly as much as the aviation sector,” said Forsberg, a physicist. “The current fossil-based system has reached its end point. Our solution not only slashes emissions but also ensures food security by allowing countries to produce fertiliser locally and independently.”
The innovation, currently demonstrated at a pilot plant in Uppsala and tested on a Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences farm, will be scaled commercially using the award funds. NitroCapt aims to roll out the technology across Europe in partnership with farmer-owned cooperatives, and in other regions through governments, NGOs, or private sector actors.
“When fertiliser supplies were cut off in Europe due to the war in Ukraine, it exposed deep vulnerabilities in food production,” Forsberg noted. “With our technology, countries can achieve fertiliser self-sufficiency and resilience to such shocks.”
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The Food Planet Prize, established in 2019, is the world’s largest environmental prize supporting innovations that transform how food is produced and consumed. It is unique in rewarding forward-looking potential rather than retrospective success.
This year’s five other global finalists included:
• Adaptive Symbiotic Technologies (USA): Using fungi and microbes to help crops resist climate stress and reduce fertiliser dependency.
• Astungkara Way (Indonesia): Regenerative rice farming to enhance productivity and farmer well-being.
• Pride on Our Plates (China): Reducing food waste in restaurants through behavioural insights and data tools.
• Semion (Argentina): Natural plant-based solutions to combat pesticide resistance.
• Virtual Irrigation Academy (Australia): Affordable soil sensors helping smallholder farmers conserve water and boost yields.
The prize jury was co-chaired by Prof. Johan Rockström, originator of the Planetary Boundaries framework, and Magnus Nilsson, director-general of the Curt Bergfors Foundation.
