Impacts of global trade on cropland soil-phosphorus depletion and food security

Niu, K., Li, M., Lenzen, M., Wiedmann, T., Han, X., Jin, S., Malik, A., & Gu, B. (2024). Impacts of global trade on cropland soil-phosphorus depletion and food security. Nature Sustainability 7 1128-1140. 10.1038/s41893-024-01385-9.

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Abstract

Globalization intensifies the demand for agricultural products from specific regions, resulting in intensive farming practices that can exacerbate local cropland soil phosphorus (P) depletion, thereby undermining long-term food security. By integrating global data on international trade and soil-P reserves and deficits from 1970 to 2017, we demonstrate that the contribution of trade to global soil-P deficits increased from 7% in 1970 to 18% in 2017, with 54% of this impact driven by non-food consumption. Over these 48 years, developing regions exported a net of 5.8 Mt P through agricultural trade, resulting in a net increase of 13 Mt soil-P deficits. These deficits are primarily concentrated in regions with low soil-P reserves, such as sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America and Southeast Asia, thereby heightening the risks of soil-P depletion in these areas and amplifying long-term concerns about food security. This insight underscores the imperative for a broader perspective on food security—prioritizing national soil productivity rather than merely boosting the availability of food in the global market when shaping global trade policies.

Item Type:	Article
Research Programs:	Biodiversity and Natural Resources (BNR) Biodiversity and Natural Resources (BNR) > Integrated Biosphere Futures (IBF)
Depositing User:	Michaela Rossini
Date Deposited:	12 Jul 2024 13:14
Last Modified:	07 Oct 2024 14:25
URI:	https://pure.iiasa.ac.at/19877

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