All life on earth depends on the presence of nutrients. While the demand for phosphorus increases, the world’s supply of fossil resources is shrinking. The consequences for particularly the world’s food production would be enormous.
The Nutrient Platform (NP) is a cross-sectoral network of Dutch organizations that share a common concern for the global impact of phosphorus depletion and the way society is dealing with nutrients in general. Together with the Dutch government, the Nutrient Platform will take up the responsibility to facilitate the organizations throughout the value chain in closing the phosphorus cycle. As such the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and Environment appointed a full time Value Chain Director who works closely wiht the Nutrient Platform in executing the Dutch Phosphate Value Chain Agreement that was signed during the Innovatie Estafette on October 4th, 2011.
More than twenty Dutch companies, knowledge institutes, government authorities and NGO’s signed the Dutch Phosphate Value Chain Agreement. They all share the ambition of creating a sustainable market within two years, where as many reusable phosphate streams as possible will be returned to the cycle in an environment-friendly way and where the secondary (recycled) phosphate – as long as surplus exists in the Dutch market – will be exported to the fullest extent possible. This, in order to contribute elsewhere to soil improvement and food production. This approach will give substance tot the creation of a raw materials roundabout.
DOWNLOAD: Dutch Phosphate Value Chain Agreement (English)
DOWNLOAD: Nederlands Ketenakkoord Fosfaatkringloop (Nederlands)