Abstract | Phosphorus and biodynamic farming

Just as water has a cycle so does every element on Earth. Phosphorus is an essential element for farming but is notoriously lacking in Australia. For decades, agriculture has relied on phosphate rock to fill the shortfall. Sold as ‘fertilizer’, super phosphate (P2O5) is an oxide of phosphorus. Unfortunately it was the first natural resource to reach its world peak. Since 1989, the supply of commercial phosphate has been on a steep decline.

There are other reserves of Phosphorus to be found but these deposits are more costly to extract in capital, energy and environmental damage. Phosphate has the same line of diminishing returns as petroleum but it is more urgent because phosphate has peaked already. Besides, the population needs to eat more urgently than it needs to use energy.

Another contrast between the supplies of petroleum and Phosphorus is that unlike oil, Phosphorus is an element and recycles naturally. It is renewable via the food chain and agriculture. So while commercial grade phosphate ‘fertilizer’ is doomed as a product, the Phosphorus cycle is still available. Only specific agricultural techniques work with Nature to harvest Phosphorus from the soil, air and surrounding landscape. Organic and biodynamic agriculture utilise what is available – even in a continent that was leached of its Phosphorus many epochs ago. Despite the diminished amount left in Australia, the future of food production does not rely on importing phosphorus at the farm gate. Instead Australian farmers can continue to feed people by making the transition to organic and biodynamic agriculture. It is a sustainable solution because it continues exports for the economy, conserves the Phosphorus supply and gives hope to the small towns and communities based on farming. It is a wicked solution because it was always available to us but we chose not to see it.

Bio | Suzanne Little MEIANZ

Suzanne Little is a director of the Australian Forestry Standard has more than a decade of experience as a board director. Her career pioneered the environmental management profession in NSW utilities. She is an original thinker who brings a considered perspective to her analysis of environmental issues in the context of science, community and law. Currently, she is an independent, non-executive Director with three certification schemes.

Professionally, she was the environment director for the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games and was pivotal to the NSW Government’s delivery of 20 Olympic venues for the first summer Green Games. Suzanne was the environment manager of three major corporations: AGL, SAI Global and Vodafone Australia. Currently she is a consultant for the improvement of systems and practices to reverse environmental damage. Her writing, training courses and new procedures implant social issues into the supply chains used in commerce and government.