UN General Assembly
1974

111. Experiments carried out in certain developing countries, particularly in Africa, have shown that it is possible to triple, and even quintuple, agricultural output in most developing countries by a rational use of phosphate and nitrate fertilizers, which are the most important elements in food production. 112. Unfortunately, with the demand for food-stuffs growing because of the growth in population and personal revenue, nitrate fertilizer producers have not been able to meet the demand. It is even expected that prices will remain high after supply has caught up with demand, because of the cost of the raw mate-rials involved in this process. Hence there is every reason to believe that fertilizer needs will reach extraordinary levels towards the end of this century.