The STEPS Center and Sustainable Phosphorus Alliance announce Phosphorus Week 2024
Monday, April 8th through Friday, April 12th: The 15th week in honor of the 15th element
For release on March 25th, 2024
Monday, April 8th kicks off the 15th week of the year, which the Science and Technologies for Phosphorus Sustainability (STEPS) Center and Sustainable Phosphorus Alliance (SPA) proudly announce as Phosphorus Week 2024. We dedicate the 15th week to celebrating the 15th element, as we all depend on phosphorus sustainability for food security.
Phosphorus is an essential element to life; in fact, it’s in our DNA. Importantly, phosphorus drives the productivity of the global food system through its use as an essential fertilizer ingredient. Due to system inefficiencies, not all the phosphorus makes it into the food we eat. It can run off into aquatic ecosystems, causing severe environmental damage. Population growth increases the world’s demand on the food system, and as a result, its demand for phosphorus.
Phosphorus sustainability is a wicked problem. There is no easy solution because of the complex and interconnected nature of the issue. No one discipline holds the key to solving our phosphorus problem. We need new approaches in crop and soil science, wastewater management, materials science, engineering, public policy, economics, and more to manage phosphorus more sustainably.
During Phosphorus Week, we not only celebrate the element responsible for our food, but the advancements made in improving phosphorus management, developing new technologies to reuse phosphorus, fostering strong relationships with stakeholders, and more. Follow our organizations’ social media accounts to learn more about phosphorus, phosphorus sustainability, and those of us working to address this problem: STEPS Center on LinkedIn and SPA on LinkedIn.
About us: The STEPS Center aims to tackle the challenges of phosphorus sustainability. We approach research through convergence, forming multidisciplinary teams of engineers, social scientists, natural scientists, and industry stakeholders united under the goal of a sustainable phosphorus future. The Sustainable Phosphorus Alliance is a North American member organization that comprises public and private sector organizations from across the phosphorus value chain who collaborate to promote the sustainable use, recovery, and recycling of phosphorus in our food system.
Contact information:
Dr. Jacob Jones: jacobjones@ncsu.edu
Olga Borquez: borquez@phosphorusalliance.org
Dr. Meagan Kittle Autry: makittle@ncsu.edu
