The Mosaic Company, 2012 Sustainability Report
The Advantages of
Mosaic’s Phosphate
Reserves
The demand for Mosaic’s products is high, and
only promises to grow as the world’s population
continues to expand. Indeed, the demand for
phosphorus is expected to increase between
50
and 100 percent between 2000–2050 due to
the growing global demand for food and changing
diets (EFMA, 2000; Steen, 1998). These numbers
are stark reminders of the pressing challenges of
global food securit y.
Phosphate played a significant role in fueling
the success of the green revolution — the great
increase in agricultural productivit y that occurred
during the second half of the 20th century. This
mineral nutrient is critical to life — it’s supplied
in the food we consume; it ’s the backbone
of DNA/RNA.
Florida, with its significant, high-qualit y phosphate
ore reser ves, is the world’s largest finished
concentrated phosphate region, with 16 percent –
approximately 10 million tonnes – of the world’s
total production capacit y. Mosaic also provided
phosphates for 61 percent of farmers in Nor th
America in fiscal 2012 — underscoring the
importance of domestic phosphate production.
Transpor ting ore from distant sources to
supply Nor th America’s farmers would not
only cost more, it would also create a greater
environmental strain.
Mosaic provided phosphates to
OF FARMERS IN
NORTH AMERICA
61
%
Food
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