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The Phosphorus Footprint of China's Food Chain: Implications for Food Security, Natural Resource Management, and Environmental Quality
Author(s) -
Wang F.,
Sims J. T.,
Ma L.,
Ma W.,
Dou Z.,
Zhang F.
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
journal of environmental quality
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.888
H-Index - 171
eISSN - 1537-2537
pISSN - 0047-2425
DOI - 10.2134/jeq2010.0444
Subject(s) - food security , inefficiency , nutrient management , food chain , agriculture , business , natural resource economics , food processing , natural resource , china , resource (disambiguation) , environmental science , agricultural economics , environmental protection , agricultural science , geography , ecology , biology , economics , food science , computer science , microeconomics , computer network , archaeology
Efficient use of phosphorus (P) for producing food, preventing water pollution, and managing a dwindling rock P reserve are major challenges for China. We analyzed P stocks and flows in the Chinese food chain to identify where P use efficiency can be improved, where P leaks to the environment, and the research, technologies, and policies needed to improve P use. We found a high degree of inefficiency; of 6652 Gg P entering the food chain, only 1102 Gg P (18%) exit as food for humans. The greatest inefficiencies were a large build‐up of soil P (3670 Gg P yr −1 ; 52% of P inputs) and high P losses to the environment from animal production (1582 Gg P yr −1 ; 60% of excreted P). Improving P use in China must focus on national‐scale nutrient management strategies, better animal nutrition, and adoption of technologies and policies to reduce P discharges from the animal sector and recycle P as manures in agriculture.