Disease, hunger, war, and religion have shaped human existence over many centuries. This volume of RCC Perspectives presents exciting syntheses between research in the fields of archaeology, anthropology, and history.

This article outlines the “global P problem sphere” before moving to insights obtained from a Canadian case study that examines the opportunities of applying a paradigmatic focal shift to phosphorus understanding—“from noxious to precious”— as assessed and evaluated through the direct participation of local stakeholders.