The phosphate issue

Our bodies need phosphor and extract it from our food. Plants also need phosphor to live. Under normal circumstances plants extract phosphor from the soil, but intensive farming is rapidly exhausting this phosphate. This is why phosphate is added to the soil in the form of artificial fertiliser in order to compensate for the shortage and maintain our food production.

In the Netherlands and the majority of countries in Europe we have done this to such a great degree that the soil currently contains more than sufficient phosphate. Nevertheless, this quantity will also become depleted if we do not continue to supplement it. In other parts of the world, such as Africa, artificial fertiliser is far less readily available and the soil is poorer. The end of the stocks is on the horizon. The problem is even more acute due to the fact that demand for phosphate is increasing. This is because of the growing world population, increasing consumption of meat and the cultivation of energy crops.

Besides the fact that we extract phosphate from our food, we also use phosphate in the pharmaceuticals sector and industrial and household cleaning. However, consumption for the purpose of food production is by far the most important. Approximately 80% of all phosphate is used for this purpose.