THE WORLD'S BREADBASKET

"In simple terms, the world's breadbasket may soon depend upon imported phosphorite ! And where does this phosphorite lie ? About 60% of the global phosphorite reserves lie in a rich belt extending from the Middle East into North Africa, a geological realm termed the South Tethys (note in December 2002: see Grimm et al., 2000 and references by Pufahl et al. on my reference list for more on the South Tethys Phosphorite Giant). The great majority - 52% of the reserve - lies in Morocco, with substantial economic deposits in the former Spanish Sahara. Guerrilla fighters opposed to Morocccan authority in the Spanish Sahara - and backed by Libya and Algeria - clashed with the Moroccans until a 1991 ceasefire agreement. A proviso of the cease fire was a referendum on the sovereignty of the disputed, phosphate-rich territory. To date an agreement concerning voter eligibility has not been reached and the election has yet to occur (Brazier, 1998). "

http://www.eos.ubc.ca/personal/grimm/phosphorites.html