Food Security

Without commercial fertilizers, the world’s crop yields would be cut in half. Plants need sufficient amounts of three nutrients — nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium – to grow. When farmers harvest, nutrients bound within the crops are removed from the field as well. To ensure nutrients for the next crop, farmers must replenish them by applying fertilizers to maintain higher crop yields. Commercial fertilizers are responsible for 40-60 percent of crop yields.

Phosphate is essential for the general health and vigor of all plants. Some specific growth factors that have been associated with phosphorus are:

• Stimulated root development
• Increased stalk and stem strength
• Improved flower formation and seed production
• More uniform and earlier crop maturity
• Increased nitrogen N-fixing capacity for legumes
• Improvements in crop quality
• Increased resistance to plant diseases
• Supports development throughout entire life cycle

Mosaic’s Phosphate operation brings many benefits to the counties where we operate. In addition to the jobs provided, our operations in Florida generate substantial tax revenues for county governments, reducing the tax burden on other citizens. Most areas we mine were previously zoned for agricultural use and must be rezoned for mining. As a result of this rezoning, property tax revenue from the land increases by millions, providing benefits to local schools and governments.

Additionally, mining is a capital-intensive business and the millions that are invested in equipment at our mine sites generate significant amounts of tangible tax that provides a continual source of revenue to the county. In addition to these tax revenues, county governments receive a portion of the severance tax paid to the state on each ton of phosphate rock mined at our facilities. And, Mosaic strongly believes in investing in the communities where we operate, providing a significant boost to the efforts of local non-profits serving the community.