The current world phosphate reserve is estimated to be 71,000 million metric tons (50 billion of which is in Morocco and Western Sahara). Assume that the global average phosphorus content in marketable phosphate rock is 25%. It has been estimated that only 20% of the P in phosphate rock reaches the food consumed globally, because 30-40% is lost during mining and processing, 50% is wasted in the food chain between farm and fork, and only half of all of this P is recycled back into farmland around the world yearly. Across the world, per capita equivalent consumption of P varies from 0.7kg P/person/year (Ghana) and 6.5 kg P/person/year (Australia) based on a 2013 analysis from McGill University. This variability depends largely on the amount of meat consumption. a) Assuming the entire world population (7.9 billion people as of October 2021) has a diet at low P consumption rate, how long will these world’s P reserve last? b) What about at the high P consumption end?
The current world phosphate reserve is estimated to be 71,000 million metric
tons (50 billion of which is in Morocco and Western Sahara). Assume that the global
average phosphorus content in marketable phosphate rock is 25%. It has been estimated
that only 20% of the P in phosphate rock reaches the food consumed globally, because
30-40% is lost during mining and processing, 50% is wasted in the food chain between
farm and fork, and only half of all of this P is recycled back into farmland around the world
yearly. Across the world, per capita equivalent consumption of P varies from 0.7kg
P/person/year (Ghana) and 6.5 kg P/person/year (Australia) based on a 2013 analysis
from McGill University. This variability depends largely on the amount of meat
consumption.
a) Assuming the entire world population (7.9 billion people as of October
2021) has a diet at low P consumption rate, how long will these world’s P reserve
last?
b) What about at the high P consumption end?
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