Tracking phosphorus security: indicators of phosphorus vulnerability in the global food system

Flashcards about phosphorus security indicators

How does phosphorus underpin global food systems?

Ensuring soil fertility, farmer livelihoods, agricultural productivity, and global food security.

What is the world's main source of phosphorus?

Phosphate rock.

Which country controls three-quarters of the world’s remaining high-grade phosphate reserves?

Morocco.

What are the global indicators of phosphorus vulnerability?

Phosphate price, market concentration and supply risk, relative physical phosphorus scarcity, and eutrophication potential.

What are the national indicators of phosphorus vulnerability?

Farmer phosphorus vulnerability, national phosphorus vulnerability, national phosphorus equity, and soil phosphorus legacy.

What are sustainability indicators used to facilitate?

Accountability, implementation, evaluation, and communication.

What do almost all the world’s farmers depend on for phosphorus fertilizers?

Mined phosphate rock.

What is likely to result if no action is taken to address phosphorus scarcity?

Decreased global crop yields and increased global hunger.

What does phosphorus security involve?

Short and long term access to phosphorus for all farmers.

What are the potential consequences of phosphorus scarcity?

Increased phosphate production and transport costs, increased generation of pollution and waste, long-term fertilizer price increases, and reduced farmer access to fertilizers.

What does 'indicator tracking' facilitate?

Tracking key aspects of phosphorus scarcity or vulnerability.

What comprises critical phosphorus baseline data?

Data on phosphate rock production and reserves, and on the generation and fate of renewable resources.

What are the criteria for indicator development?

Transparency, flexibility & timely, multi-scale, multi-purpose, multi-stakeholder.

What is the 'proximity-to-target' methodology?

Assessing how close a particular country is to an identified policy target.

What are dashboard indicators for market concentration and supply risk?

The proportion of remaining reserves controlled by the top 5 countries, and the proportion of annual phosphate rock produced by top 5 countries.

What are the desired outcomes and impacts of this research?

To stimulate targeted & effective action, public awareness, sustainable phosphorus management and effective monitoring & evaluation

What was the phosphate price spike of 2008?

A sudden increase in the price of phosphate rock in 2008.

What is a dashboard indicator for eutrophication potential?

The frequency and intensity of reported algal blooms.

What are important factors for farmer phosphorus vulnerability?

Short-term price volatility and long-term price increases.

What creates a silent demand from poor small-scale farmers?

The silent demand from poor small-scale farmers with P-deficient soils who do not apply fertilizers because they cannot afford to.