The current BHP takeover attempt of Potash Inc confirms my belief that Phosphate fertiliser supply is going to become one of the greatest issues facing urbanised populations.
We can't synthesize P, so it is a finite resource, and current use rates suggest only measuring current known deposit lifespans in centuries.
We know we can make Nitrogen, and replace fossil fuels but what do we do if we anticipate another few hundred millenia of human existence.P has to be mined and transported from diminishing reserves. Subject to both fuel price increases and the laws of supply and demand.
While the financial impact in the short term maybe slight (to first world consumers) at some point the cost of returning nutrients from cities to the land that supports them must be taken into account.
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