Hunter Swisher (Phospholutions photo) Andy DeVries (Personal photo)
The federal government’s decision to add phosphorus to the United States' critical minerals list went largely unnoticed outside policy circles. Farmers noticed. Phosphorus is not a niche material—it powers modern agriculture, underpinning yields in corn, soybeans, wheat, fruits, and vegetables. Without it, America’s food system does not function.
Yet our nation depends on a few domestic mines and limited global suppliers. When those markets swing, growers feel it immediately. The critical mineral designation confirms what farmers have long understood: phosphorus security is food security.
The fastest, most cost-effective way to protect this resource and lower costs for farmers is to ensure every pound applied is used efficiently. Policy can make efficiency a national priority.
Farmer perspective: Volatility hits the operating budget
A couple of years ago, phosphate prices doubled. For Andy DeVries, who farms 1,200 acres of corn and soybeans in Iowa, that wasn’t an abstract chart, it was a direct hit to the operating budget, the kind no farm can absorb again and again.
Fertilizer accounts for more than a third of many growers' expenses. When phosphorus prices swing, there’s no easy hedge. Uncertainty drives “insurance fertilizer,” where growers apply more than crops need because current products make nutrient availability unpredictable.
In practice, only a small share of phosphorus applied in spring reaches the crop that year. The rest binds in soil, forcing farmers to buy more later just to maintain yields.
What changed things on Andy’s farm was realizing they could maintain yields while reducing rates, if they used a technology that helped the plant access more of what they applied. The result was lower costs and a more resilient operation.
For farmers, efficiency is not a buzzword—it’s stability in the face of price shocks they cannot control.
Innovator perspective: A finite mineral demands smarter use
The U.S. has only a few decades of high-quality phosphate rock remaining. Once domestic reserves are depleted, the country becomes far more dependent on imports, making it even more important to maximize the efficiency of the phosphorus already in use. For us, the “critical mineral” designation is a clear signal that improving phosphorus-use efficiency needs to be a priority.
Traditional fertilizer formulations were designed for a different era. They bind quickly in soil, forcing growers to apply more than crops can use. That inefficiency accelerates depletion, raises costs, and drives nutrient loss into waterways.
Modern efficiency technologies can reduce phosphorus applications by roughly 50% without sacrificing yields. They fit into existing practices, work with current equipment, and deliver what farmers care most about: consistent yield at a manageable cost.
Groups like the Sustainable Phosphorus Alliance and the STEPS Center have long called for an efficiency-first approach. Now that phosphorus has critical mineral status, this is no longer just sustainability—it’s national strategy.
Market forces will eventually reward higher-efficiency products. The question is whether the country can afford to wait decades while reserves dwindle and farmers shoulder volatility alone.
Policymaker perspective: Bipartisan tools for security and innovation
When policymakers consider phosphorus as a critical mineral, they’ll hear many voices: producers and importers on supply, farmers on price and reliability. Efficiency is the shared ground that strengthens national security, lowers costs, and improves environmental outcomes.
The federal government is providing $12 billion in aid to farmers. While support is critical, a long-term solution should focus on innovation and efficiency—helping farmers reduce input costs and stabilize yields rather than relying on reactive subsidies.
A practical, bipartisan framework could include:
Recognition of efficiency as a water quality solution. Better plant uptake reduces nutrient loss, addressing algal blooms without new regulation.
A unified path forward
Phosphorus is one of the rare issues where farmer priorities, innovation capabilities, and national security interests converge. What strengthens soil efficiency strengthens domestic supply. What lowers grower costs preserves a finite resource. What improves nutrient uptake also improves water quality.
Farmers don’t want complexity. They want stability. If efficiency helps them use less fertilizer, save money, and still grow the crop they expect, it’s something they can adopt and stick with.
If the United States builds its phosphorus strategy around efficiency, we will not simply protect a critical mineral. We will strengthen our farm economy, improve environmental outcomes, and increase national resilience—not just for this season, but for generations to come.
Hunter Swisher is founder and CEO of Phospholutions, an ag-tech company improving phosphorus efficiency. Andy DeVries is a third-generation soybean, corn, and cattle producer in Iowa.