Lack of reporting of phosphorus supply chain ‘dangerous for global food security’
A new study shows that the lack of reporting on the global phosphorus supply chain can indirectly be dangerous for global food security. Our global food production system uses 53 million ton of phosphate fertilizers annually, processed from 270 million tonnes of mined phosphate rock. Estimates show up to 90% phosphate loss from mine to fork. A considerable part of this loss is phosphate pollution in water, some of which creates "dead zones," areas where little or no marine life can survive. With an increase in food demand by 60% towards 2050, food production systems will need even more phosphate fertilizers.