Elise Hu

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Now onto the episode.

You're listening to TED Talks Daily, where we bring you new ideas to spark your curiosity every day.

I'm your host, Elise Hu.

For bioengineer Karsten Temme, it all starts with a simple jar of soil and the belief that the future of farming is already alive and well beneath our feet.

In his talk, he shares how re-engineering microbes could allow us to replace much of the world's synthetic fertilizer.

It would open up the huge potential to cut down on costs and environmental harm, all while increasing yields from large farms in the U.S.

and Brazil to the smallholder plots in Kenya and beyond.

That was Karsten Temme at the TED Countdown Summit in Nairobi, Kenya in 2025.

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And that's it for today.

TED Talks Daily is part of the TED Audio Collective.

This talk was fact-checked by the TED Research Team and produced and edited by our team, Martha Estefanos, Oliver Friedman, Brian Green, Lucy Little, and Tansika Sangmarnivong.

This episode was mixed by Christopher Fasey-Bogan.

Additional support from Emma Taubner and Daniela Balarezo.

I'm Elise Hugh.

I'll be back tomorrow with a fresh idea for your feed.

Thanks for listening.

You're listening to TED Talks Daily, where we bring you new ideas and conversations to spark your curiosity every day.