Nutrient Platform

Life on earth depends on nutrients. Phosphorus is an essential component of fertilizers and crucial for the world’s food supply system. Since there is no alternative for phosphorus, we urgently need to recover it from our ‘waste’ streams, recycle it and use it more sustainably. The Nutrient Platform unites water, agriculture, waste and chemistry together with the government, knowledge institutes and NGOs to achieve this goal. While the global demand for phosphorus and other nutrients increases, the reserves are decreasing. Furthermore the reserves are concentrated in only a handful of countries. The potential impact on worldwide food security is enormous. The Nutrient Platform is a cross-sectoral network of Dutch organizations that believe in a pragmatic approach towards nutrient scarcity. Frontrunners from the water sector, agriculture, waste sector and chemical industry have joined forces to close nutrient cycles. Together with the government, knowledge institutes and NGOs we accelerate the transition towards sustainable nutrient management by creating a market for recycled nutrients. Above all, the Nutrient Platform aims to turn the surplus of phosphorus in the Netherlands into an opportunity. This surplus, mainly the result of our intensive livestock system, causes environmental problems. By recovering phosphorus from our ‘waste’ streams and turning it into valuable new products, not only the environment is improved but also the phosphorus cycle is closed.