Who Owns Mosaic?

As a mining company, Mosaic's sustainability profile is dominated by land, water, and waste management rather than consumer-facing certifications. The company reports that more than 90% of the water used in its Florida phosphate operations is recycled or reclaimed, and mined land is reclaimed under Florida law requiring restoration of wetlands and uplands.

The brand's largest environmental liability is phosphogypsum, the mildly radioactive byproduct of phosphate production stored in stacks in Florida and Louisiana. Federal rules restrict its reuse, so stacks accumulate permanently. Mosaic funds financial assurance for eventual closure and long-term monitoring. In Saskatchewan, salt tailings and brine from potash mining are managed under provincial oversight.

Mosaic is not a consumer brand, so certifications such as B Corp or cruelty-free designations do not apply.

The most significant environmental incident in the company's history occurred in August 2016, when a sinkhole opened under a phosphogypsum stack at the New Wales facility in Mulberry, Florida, draining approximately 215 million gallons of contaminated process water into the Floridan aquifer. The company drew criticism for a weeks-long delay before public disclosure. Mosaic sealed the sinkhole and expanded groundwater monitoring under state oversight.

Mosaic operates under EPA consent agreements covering its phosphogypsum stacks, which require substantial financial assurance for closure and post-closure care. Environmental organizations have challenged permits for expansion of Florida phosphate mining, citing impacts on wetlands and river systems.

In Brazil, regulators increased scrutiny of Mosaic's tailings dams following the 2019 Brumadinho disaster. The company undertook reinforcement and decommissioning work at several dams and reported evacuations near structures that did not meet updated safety classifications.