Sustainable phosphorus management for food security

To increase crop production and meet the continuously increasing food demand, huge phosphorus rock was mined, processed, and consumed as chemical fertilizers, pesticides and chemical additions, which greatly intensified the P... [ view full abstract ]

To increase crop production and meet the continuously increasing food demand, huge phosphorus rock was mined, processed, and consumed as chemical fertilizers, pesticides and chemical additions, which greatly intensified the P releases from lithosphere to ecosystems. As a result, phosphorus supply shortage and even depletion of phosphorus rock happen, as well as aquatic eutrophication, which have been important constraints for sustainable development, especially for crop production. However continuous population growth, dietary patterns changes from crop-dominated to animal, and excessive food wastes have been greatly increasing the food demand. Consequently, food security is becoming more and more critical, which is deteriorated by urbanization, climate change, and arable land pollution. How to sustain crop production by sustainable phosphorus management has been one of the most challenges for food security. Here we examine the gap between phosphorus supply and demand for food production and furthermore explore the potential to minimize the gap by decreasing the demand, improving the use efficiency and enlarging the supply. All data we used in this estimate come from  published literature and databases. Based on our analysis, some suggestions are provided for sustainable phosphorus management with a life cycle perspective., which include but not limited to 1) decreasing food demand by changing diets from animal dominated pattern to crops, and minimizing food wastes; 2) improving phosphorus supply capacity by applying new phosphorus chemical technologies, recycling phosphorus wastes to agricultural systems such as food wastes, urine and excrement; 3) improving phosphorus use efficiency by employing sustainable production methods in agriculture.

Keywords: crop production, food security, sustainable phosphorus management, sustainable agricultural production, food wastes