AUSTRALIAN SUSTAINABLE PHOSPHORUS FUTURES

This page documents the research, policy and communication activities of the Institute for Sustainable Futures at UTS (a founding member of the GPRI) related to securing a sustainable phosphorus future for Australia. For further information, please contact Dr Dana Cordell ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ) or Professor Stuart White
( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ).

Since 2008, the sustainable phosphorus research undertaken by the Institute for Sustainable Futures has been proudly supported by a range of national and international funders from industry, government, science and philanthropic organisations, including: 

• Australian Government – Department Education, Science & Training (DEST)
• Wentworth Group of Concerned Scientists / Purves Foundation
• CSIRO Sustainable Agriculture Flagship
• Rural Industries Research & Development Corporation (RIRDC)
• Australian Government – Department of Agriculture, Fisheries & Forestry (DAFF)
• Grains Research & Development Corporation (GRDC)
• Ian Potter Foundation
• Global Phosphate Forum (GPF)
• Novozymes
• Swedish Research Council FORMAS
• Minemakers Pty Ltd
• Yarra Valley Water
• University of Technology, Sydney (Chancellor’s Postdoctoral Research Fellowship & International Research Development Challenge Fund)

July 2012

The Australian Phosphorus Flows Model v1.3 indicates the major phosphorus inputs, outputs and internal flows of phosphorus through the Australian food system for the year 2007. The Australian food system is far from sustainable with respect to phosphorus. Despite being a net food exporter — feeding approximately 60-70 million people — Australia is a net importer of phosphorus, with a net of 80 kt P imported into the country each year. Approximately 214 kt P/a is imported into the country via imported fertilisers and phosphate rock, while approximately 134 kt P/a is exported via fertiliser and food exports.

 June 2012

The interactive future phosphorus scenarios v1.0 allows users to determine how phosphorus demand for food security could be attained in Australia (or globally) in 2040 and 2070. These scenarios present a significant opportunity for both understanding future implications of the current business-as-usual trajectory, future possibilities and options, and importantly, provides a tool for visualization-supported deliberation among scientists, policy-makers, industry, the community and other key stakeholders related to different aspects of the phosphorus-food system. Version 1.0 presents an excellent basis for this, however current limitations associated with poor quality of input data, limited interactivity with respect to feedback and lack of linkages to other resources, will need to be addressed before stakeholders can engage with the scenarios in a meaningful way.

February 2012

The National Strategic Phosphorus Advisory Group (NSPAG) was officially launched at the inaugural meeting during the 3^rd Sustainable Phosphorus Summit in Sydney, February 2012. The members of NSPAG are representatives of key stakeholder groups and sectors related to phosphorus in the food system (from mineral resources, fertiliser, agricultural, farming, livestock, food nutrition, natural resources, organic waste, sustainability and wastewater sectors). At this inaugural meeting, members reviewed and discussed the draft Australian Phosphorus Flows model v1.3, discussed the potential of the Interactive Future Phosphorus Scenarios and agreed on the Terms of Reference for the NSPAG.

March 2012

This project investigates how Australia can manage phosphorus to ensure long-term food security, soil fertility and environmental protection. The intended outcome is to deliver sustainable adaptation strategies across a range of scenarios to increase the resilience of the Australian food system. An Australian phosphorus stocks and flows model, quantified and costed sustainable phosphorus measures and interactive future phosphorus scenarios, will enable stakeholders to identify policy implications and make informed policy decisions.

June 2010

Research into the impact of global phosphorus scarcity on agriculture in Australia was presented at a two-day workshop held in Canberra under the auspices of the CSIRO Sustainable Agriculture Flagship. The ISF report and paper based on this research outlines possible future pathways for long-term phosphorus security. It reviews the current situation for global stocks and flows, the national phosphorous budget, global phosphorous scarcity and peak phosphorous. The authors identified and developed a framework of probable (business-as-usual) and preferred (sustainable) scenarios for Australia (including recycling and efficiency options from whole phosphorus cycle). The policy and costing implications of these

UTSpeaks free public lecture - 6pm 18th February 2009, UTS, Sydney

What do obesity, factory farming, fair trade, peak oil, peak phosphorus and climate change have in common? Why might our ‘pee’ one day be worth its weight in gold? With three expert speakers, this lecture puts our daily dinner table and supermarket choices under the spotlight. It questions the kind of human diet our planet can sustain and looks at how we could reduce demand on global resources, while maintaining a balanced diet and ethical food industry. Finally you’ll hear about the great global phosphorus crisis. Vital to plant and animal growth, the value of this element is sky-rocketing as supply from a few mines world-wide decreases. Our days of peeing phosphorus down the drain and food production processes demanding an excess of phosphorus may soon be costly habits of the past.

November 2008

National stakeholder workshop -14th November 2008, ISF, Sydney

The GPRI hosted a national workshop on the Future of Phosphorus at the Institute for Sustainable Futures in Sydney, Australia on 14th November 2008. The intention of the workshop was to bring together key Australian stakeholders to discuss the implications of global phosphate scarcity (and related sustainability and ethical issues) for Australia’s food production and consumption system and vision possible future scenarios. The group concluded that a sustainable phosphorus future in the long-term would need to take