Our global food production system uses 53 million tonnes of phosphate fertilizers annually, processed from 270 million tonnes of mined phosphate rock. Estimates show up to 90% phosphate loss from mine to fork. A considerable part of this loss is phosphate pollution in water, some of which creates “dead zones,” areas where little or no marine life can survive. With an increase in food demand by 60% in 2050, our food production system will need even more phosphate fertilizers. But where do the fertilizers come from and where do they go?
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Source: Phys.org