Balancing the Global Distribution of Phosphorus With a View Toward Sustainability and Equity

Limitations in the geological reserves of phosphate rock, the source of fertilizer phosphorus, are not currently considered in agricultural practices or global trade, a very short‐sighted approach considering that there is no “alternative fuel” for plant growth. Thus, it is important to understand the science of phosphorus‐crop growth dynamics as a function of grain type, plant uptake, climate, and past fertilizer phosphorus application history. Recent work on modeling these factors on the global scale (Kvakić et al., 2018, https://doi.org/10.1002/2017GB005754) provides the first scientific backdrop for developing an understanding of fertilizer phosphorus balances and for informing forward‐looking practices and policies that regulate toward long‐term sustainability rather than short‐term profit. Plain Language Summary Phosphorus is essential for feeding the planet but is present in diminishing quantities. A new study in Global Biogeochemical Cycles provides a global map of phosphorus utilization across several crop types and points the way to developing better global practices to “right‐size” phosphorus distribution and crop choices to enhance global sustainability and equity. Key Points The world's phosphate reserves are rapidly depleting, and there is no alternative that supports modern intensive agriculture A paper in Global Biogeochemical Cycles by Kvakic and colleagues utilizes soil biogeochemical models to determine crop phosphorus limitation Significant disparities exist in current fertilizer phosphorus efficiency, indicating the need for global consideration of food security