Been There Done That? A Historic Perspective on the Phosphorus Availability Debate

Issues related to phosphorus (P) sustainability have increasingly become a focus of concern, discussion, and debate in recent years. Two concerns have received particular focus: the finite nature of phosphate rock vis-à-vis phosphorus’s essential role in all biological production, especially food production, and the increasing pollution caused  by excess phosphorus in the environment. The latter, mainly represented by a growing number of eutrophic water bodies and dead zones worldwide, has been central to many environmental debates and management activities over the last decades. However, rising demand for phosphate rock for global food production and the finite nature of  phosphate resources have only recently--or so it seems--resulted in concerns about the medium- to long-term availability and accessibility of high quality, inexpensive phosphate rock for fertilizer production, a commodity on which our modern  agricultural production system largely depends. A sincere look back, however, may demonstrate sufficient reason to believe that history might repeat itself. Over the last century, several individuals and groups around the world were concerned with phosphate rock availability concerns. My presentation will particularly focus on the U.S. debate under President Franklin Roosevelt in the 1930s as well as on international debates in the 1970s and 1980s.While different specific causes resulted in each of these former discussions and works on (future) phosphate availability, were they all, at least partially, the result of a deeper, more widespread problem in which knowledge gained or results obtained were lost, forgotten, or worse, not studied? Further, what mechanisms does it take to counteract this trend? This presentation will focus on what  added value historically-grounded research can bring towards more deeply understanding “peak P” and designing new approaches to tackle the issue about sustainable phosphorus nutrient management.