Using a Phosphorus Flow Diagram as a Boundary Object to Inform Stakeholder Engagement

Phosphorus (P) is essential for life on Earth, yet its current management is unsustainable. Stakeholder engagement is urgently needed to help ensure that scientific and technical solutions to improve P sustainability meet the needs of diverse groups, yet there are comparatively few studies that provide insights into stakeholder views, perceptions, or concerns. In this opinion, we use a mass flow diagram of P as a boundary object to understand the complex challenges of sustainable P management. In particular, we map US stakeholder groups onto the mass flow diagram to incorporate human factors into mass flows at a national scale. Our approach is grounded in well-established social-scientific methodologies, such as stakeholder mapping and social network analysis, but is applied in a novel way that can be generalized to other mass flows and geographic areas. We then suggest ways that researchers can use the annotated flow diagram to identify both knowledge gaps and research gaps in stakeholder engagement, especially in interdisciplinary or convergence research contexts.

Automated summary

Phosphorus is crucial for life on Earth but its current management is unsustainable. Stakeholder engagement is urgently needed to address the challenges, yet there is limited research on stakeholder views. In this opinion, the authors use a mass flow diagram to understand the complex challenges and incorporate human factors at a national scale. The approach can be generalized to other mass flows and areas, and the authors suggest ways for researchers to identify knowledge gaps and research needs in stakeholder engagement.