Why is Phosphorus Sustainability Important?

What is Phosphorus?

Phosphorus (P) is a natural element that is contained in every living organism. P is in fact essential for life, as it is involved in a wide range of biological processes and it is even found in our DNA!

Today, we use P in various industrial processes and it plays an important role in agriculture. This is because P is so essential to biological activity that plants rely on it for growth, and in turn, it drives crop yield in agricultural production systems (through its use as fertilizers). For these uses, we currently mine P from non-renewable phosphate rock supplies.

Why is it important to manage phosphorus sustainably?

It is important to manage P in our society for several reasons. First, we rely on P to ensure adequate food supplies and protect food security around the world. At the same time, however, P is primarily sourced from a non-renewable resource (phosphate rock) that may be eventually exhausted. Further, excessive amounts of P in the environment, including run-off into surrounding waterways, can lead to environmental damage including the rise of eutrophication, harmful algal blooms, and marine dead zones. Therefore, it is important to effectively and sustainably manage this critical yet impactful resource in the near and long-terms.

See our recent papers on stakeholder perceptions related to P sustainability, how coordinated stakeholder engagement can help, and how the P flow diagram can help map important stakeholders in P sustainability framings.

What are some actions I can take to reduce my P footprint?

According to the Sustainable Phosphorus Alliance, there are several actions you can take to reduce your P footprint. These include the following:

  • Choose more plant-based foods, including fruits, vegetables, grains, and plant-based proteins. By choosing more plant-based foods over animal-based foods, your environmental and P-footprints will be reduced through reducing the amount of P-rich animal manure and associated run-off of manure into surrounding waterways.
  • Reduce food and yard waste, by composting and/or reducing the overall amount of spoiled or wasted food that is purchased. By decreasing the amount of food that is wasted, this decreases the amount of P that is also wasted and enters into the environment. You can also compost any food or yard waste through the use of compost bins or compost piles. Resulting compost can also be used in home or community gardens.
  • Dispose of pet waste, by regularly picking up your pets waste in your yard or other areas. This is because pet waste contains P, and therefore P in pet waste can be washed away with rain or snow events, leading to excess P entering in the waterways.
  • Responsibly manage nutrients and fertilizers on your properly. When possible, use slow-release fertilizers for home lawns and sweep up any extra fertilizers that have spilled onto driveways or sidewalks, since they may eventually be washed away. Further, you can leave lawn clippings on your grass after moving so they also are not washed away into stormwater drains that lead to waterbodies.

Where can I learn more about phosphorus sustainability?

You can learn more about P sustainability at these sites:

  • STEPS to Tackle Our Phosphorus Paradox: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_gatnk0fOQI
  • Sustainable Phosphorus Alliance: https://phosphorusalliance.org/
  • 12-Steps for a more P-efficient you: https://phosphorusalliance.org/what-can-i-do/
  • Science and Technologies for Phosphorus Sustainability (STEPS) Center: https://steps-center.org/
  • The Southern Extension and Research Activity (SERA)-17: https://sera17.wordpress.ncsu.edu/
  • Elser and Haygarth. 2022. Phosphorus: Past and Future. Oxford University Press: https://global.oup.com/academic/product/phosphorus-9780199916917?cc=us&lang=en&
  • Wyant, Corman, and Elser. 2013. Phosphorus, Food, and Our Future. Oxford University Press: https://academic.oup.com/book/8729