Peak Phosphorous Roundtable
Phosphorous is imperative for maintaining plant health and is fundamental to growing food. It is currently supplied primarily from rock phosphorous reserves around the world that are being depleted faster than they are being replenished, and production is expected to peak as early as 2030. Unlike oil, phosphorous cannot be substituted and without it we will simply run out of food.
At the same time, phosphorous is linked to water quality problems in many parts of the world, as elevated concentrations in water bodies can promote algal blooms. Phosphorous overloading is considered a primary cause of eutrophication and algal blooms in Lake Winnipeg. While phosphorous is considered a pollutant regionally, its use as an agricultural fertilizer critical to food security must be considered in regional and global policy. The issue is explored in more detail in the Water Innovation Centre's publication "Peak Phosphorus: Opportunity in the Making (PDF - 810 KB)".
IISD's Water Innovation Centre (WIC) is addressing the peak phosphorous issue as a cross-cutting problem with important implications for water quality and food security and is hosting a regional peak phosphorous roundtable. The roundtable will provide industry leaders, government officials, representatives from non-government organizations, members from the agricultural producer community and other relevant stakeholders with a forum to discuss peak phosphorous in detail. Insights will be gathered from multi-stakeholder discussions aimed at framing the issue, devising management strategies and developing potential solutions to peak phosphorous. These insights will be invaluable for raising the profile of this important issue and to help initiate policies aimed at food security as well as water quality in a cost-effective and environmentally sustainable manner.
