Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

The phosphorus trilemma

  • Commentary
  • Published:

From Nature Geoscience

View current issue Submit your manuscript

Mineable phosphorus reserves are confined to a handful of countries. Reductions in wastage could free up this resource for low-income, food-deficient countries.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Figure 1: Global map of phosphorus-fertilizer input for wheat (kg P per hectare), estimated for around the year 2000.

References

  1. Cordell, D. & White, S. Sustainability 3, 2027–2049 (2011).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Elser, J. & Bennett, E. Nature 478, 29–31 (2011).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Gilbert, N. Nature 461, 716–718 (2009).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Vörösmarty, C. J. et al. Nature 467, 555–561 (2010).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. MacDonald, G. K., Bennett, E. M., Potter, P. A. & Ramankutty, N. Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 108, 3086–3091 (2011).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Van der Velde, M. et al. PLoS ONE 8, e60075 (2013).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Mueller, N. D. et al. Nature 490, 254–257 (2012).

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), Ecosystem Services and Management Program, Schlossplatz 1, Laxenburg, A-2361, Austria

    Michael Obersteiner & Marijn van der Velde

  2. CSIC, Global Ecology Unit, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, 08193, Catalonia, Spain

    Josep Peñuelas

  3. CREAF, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, 08193, Catalonia, Spain

    Josep Peñuelas

  4. Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l'Environnement, IPSL, Gif-sur-Yvette, France

    Philippe Ciais

  5. Biology Department, Universiteit Antwerpen, Universiteitsplein 1, Antwerpen, B-2610, Wilrijk, Belgium

    Ivan A. Janssens

Authors
  1. Michael Obersteiner
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Josep Peñuelas
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Philippe Ciais
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Marijn van der Velde
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Ivan A. Janssens
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Josep Peñuelas.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Obersteiner, M., Peñuelas, J., Ciais, P. et al. The phosphorus trilemma. Nature Geosci 6, 897–898 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1038/ngeo1990

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/ngeo1990

  • Springer Nature Limited

This article is cited by

Search

Navigation