Global nutrient equity for people and the planet

Global redistribution of accumulated nutrients could enhance food security and counteract degradative Earth system processes. Such a redress of unequal nutrient use may be enabled by a 'one Earth currency' allowing accumulated rights to nutrients to be traded. The industrial world has converted inert soil and atmospheric nutrients into reactive fertilizer flows that endanger water quality, biodiversity and climate. Simultaneously, poor nations starve because of the shortage of these nutrients in agricultural soils. Here we propose a redistribution of accumulated nutrients to enhance food security while counteracting the current degradation of critical Earth system processes. Residue and sediment nutrients could be processed and transported to food-insecure regions through the opposite logistics used to ship rock phosphate across the globe. Financing through trading accumulated rights could trigger the required innovations in processing, logistics and thinking. Such a socially just 'one Earth currency' could leverage a transformation towards resilience, equity and dignity across the critical Earth system processes.

Automated summary

Global redistribution of accumulated nutrients can enhance food security and counteract degradation of critical Earth system processes by trading accumulated nutrient rights through a 'one Earth currency'. Processing residue and sediment nutrients can help meet the needs of food-insecure regions, triggering required innovations in processing, logistics, and thinking.