France accelerates cut of cadmium limits in phosphate fertilizers

France will tighten the permissible cadmium concentration in phosphate fertilizers to 20 mg per kilogram of phosphorus by 2030, down from one outlet 90 mg/kg. The change follows a joint statement from the ministries of Agriculture, Ecological Transition and Health, which highlighted cadmium’s toxicity and its long-term buildup in soils. This stricter limit matches the advice of the national health safety agency and supersedes a previous plan that called for a slower phase-out.

A related regulation will set a maximum annual cadmium addition of three grams per hectare for several fertilizer categories from 2027 onward. Officials noted that nearly half of the French population already exceeds health-based cadmium exposure levels, prompting the accelerated timeline.