The majority of the world's agricultural fields today rely on
fertilizers derived from inorganic minerals, such as phosphate
rock. Phosphate rock is a non-renewable resource that takes 10-
15 million years to form from seabed to uplift and weathering,
and current known reserves are likely to be depleted in 50-100
years.4,5
Phosphate rock reserves are highly geographically concentrated,
and thus only exist under control of a small number of countries,
including China, Morocco (who controls Western Sahara's
reserves), and the US. The US has approximately 25 years of
reserves remaining, while China has imposed a 135% export
tariff on phosphate rock to secure domestic supply. Western
Europe and India are totally dependent on imports.4,5
Importing Western Saharan P rock via Moroccan authorities is
condemned by the UN and has recently been boycotted by
several Scandinavian firms.6,7