20 Oct 2010
NEW REPORT INDICATES WORLD RESERVES OF ROCK PHOSPHATE ADEQUATE FOR LONG-TERM
NEW REPORT INDICATES WORLD RESERVES OF ROCK PHOSPHATE ADEQUATE FOR LONG-TERM
October 20, 2010 - Norcross, Georgia, USA - The amount of remaining phosphate rock reserves and resources worldwide has become an issue of speculation and concern to some. It has been hypothesized that phosphate rock production … the source of phosphorus (P) fertilizers might “peak” in the years 2033-2034 and then production would unavoidably decrease as reserves are depleted. Because phosphorus is one of three major nutrients critical to plant growth, dire consequences for world agricultural production and food security are linked to “peak phosphate”. A new report titled World Phosphate Rock Reserves and Resources released in September 2010 by IFDC (An International Center for Soil Fertility and Agricultural Development) estimates that there are sufficient global phosphate rock resources to produce phosphate rock concentrate, phosphoric acid, phosphate fertilizers, and other phosphate-based products for several hundred years.
“Reserves and resources of key rock phosphate producing countries were assessed using a variety of available information sources. The new study estimates global reserves at about 60 billion metric tons, which is about four times higher than the current, but outdated, estimates of the U.S. Geological Survey,” explains Dr. Terry L. Roberts, President of the International Plant Nutrition Institute (IPNI). At the introduction of the new report, he served on a panel at a special meeting on the role of fertilizer in global food security, hosted by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington, DC. Audio and video of the panel can be found at the CSIS website: http://csis.org/event/report-release-role-fertilizer-global-food-security-and-world-phosphate-reserves-and-resources.
The IFDC report (Technical Bulletin IFDC-T-75) is considered as Phase One of a comprehensive effort to thoroughly evaluate world phosphate rock reserves. Phase Two will be a collaborative effort among phosphate rock producers, government agencies, international agencies, organizations, and academia to better estimate the world’s reserves and resources.
IPNI scientific staff members have reviewed the new report and a summary of their comments appears at the IPNI website >link to article<
Further details of the study and information on obtaining copies of the 58-page report can be found at the IFDC website: www.ifdc.org.
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Ref. # 10129
Ref. # 10129
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Contact Don Armstrong, IPNI Editor, at: 770.825.8080; e-mail :darmstrong@ipni.net