Katrina works on phosphorus (P) at Queen’s University Belfast. She investigates P recovery from wastewater using advanced treatment and re-use, and the networks of policy, decision support tools and on-farm practice that informs livestock manure management. She has a background in catchment science and freshwater ecology.
Presentation title: Embracing the complexities of phosphorus sustainability on the island of Ireland
Brief synopsis of talk: Phosphorus (P) is a finite, life essential element, which has important implications for global food security. P is one of 20 materials listed by the EU as a ‘Critical Raw Material’ and the EU now recognises its high vulnerability to P scarcity. P losses from catchments to receiving water bodies causes eutrophication and declining water quality. Judicious P management is therefore vital to supporting growth in the Irish agri-food sector, which is integral to Ireland’s economy. Achieving intensification in this sector is intrinsically linked to the sustainable management of waste residues (livestock manures; dairy and slaughter house waste etc.) to protect the environment and ensure regulatory compliance, both now and in the future. Establishment of an Irish Nutrient Sustainability Platform offers a coalition for action to drive forward a nutrient circular economy, via ‘joined-up thinking’ on sustainability, thus delivering on production and environmental targets.
