You’ve probably never heard of this crisis. After Peak Oil comes this news about Peak Phosphorus. Supposedly, this element, a key component of the global food chain is to run out in 30 years and a lot of people are concerned because “Our dwindling supply of phosphorus, a primary component (mainly as fertilizer) underlying the growth of global agricultural production, threatens to disrupt food security across the planet during the coming century. ” Simply put, farmers will run out of fertilizers for their crops.

From Kansas to China’s Sichuan province, farmers treat their fields with phosphorus-rich fertilizer to increase the yield of their crops. What happens next, however, receives relatively little attention. Large amounts of this resource are lost from farm fields, through soil erosion and runoff, and down swirling toilets, through our urine and feces. Although seemingly mundane, this process cannot continue indefinitely. Our dwindling supply of phosphorus, a primary component underlying the growth of global agricultural production, threatens to disrupt food security across the planet during the coming century. This is the gravest natural resource shortage you’ve never heard of.

continue reading about peak phosphorus from ForeignPolicy.com here …