Tackling climate and phosphorus resilience: twin challenges for national food security

While the world has mapped out net zero targets for sectors like energy and transport to decarbonise, the food and agriculture sector remain largely uncharted. Yet our food systems contribute around a third of the world’s total GHG emissions. Emissions occur from farm inputs all the way to the dinner table and beyond: such as fertiliser use, livestock and crop production, food waste and household cooking. At the same time, every farmer in the world needs access to phosphorus for growing crops, but its’ global supply hinges on finite phosphate rock reserves, with 80% controlled by just five countries. Australia is the world’s 5th largest importer of phosphorus to support our agricultural system, yet there are no nationally agreed targets to ensure secure access to the critical nutrient and prevent nutrient pollution of our waters from the Hawkesbury Nepean Catchment to the Great Barrier Reef.  

Led by UTS’s Institute for Sustainable Futures, the Phosphorus & Climate Smart Agriculture Network (PACSAN) has modelled the most promising sustainability measures to tackle these twin challenges, and bring together leading researchers and stakeholders across Australia and China’s food systems. PACSAN ultimately aims to assist Australia and China in simultaneously reducing greenhouse gas emissions to meet the Paris Agreement targets and ensuring phosphorus use supports food security while maintaining and improving water quality.   
PACSAN network members across both countries identified five priority areas that are of mutual interest for further exploration: food waste avoidance, sustainable food choices, nutrient productivity on farm, improving energy productivity across the whole food value chain and traceability.   

PACSAN is funded by the National Foundation for Australia-China Relations, part of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.