The scarcity of Phosphorus (P) is a global concern which is not restricted to Western industrialised nations. To date, most countries in the world are highly dependent on importing scarce mineral P fertiliser for agriculture. This contribution examines the industrialised country Germany, the emerging country Costa Rica and the developing country Nicaragua with regard to their legislation in the field of environmental protection and agriculture, in particular with regard to soil protection and fertiliser law. Based on the structure of agriculture in the individual countries, deficits in control in the legislation, which is largely determined by regulatory law, are identified and compared. It becomes clear that soil protection in all three countries has not yet been sufficiently legally standardised and at the same time the control effect with regard to the efficient use of organic or recycled P fertilisers instead of (finite) mineral P fertilisers is inadequate. In particular, frugality, i.e. the strategy of lower (and not only more efficient) consumption of P fertilisers, has so far played no role in land-use governance.