The Remineralization of Soils

Abstract

Written by an environmental engineer, director of the Corporación Ambiental GEDI, and an environmental technologist specializing in agroecology, this article presents soil remineralization using rock dust as a strategy against the widespread demineralization caused by industrial agriculture. The authors trace the historical link between mineral availability in soil and agricultural production, describing ancestral mineral-fertilization practices, and contrast these techniques with the synthetic chemical fertilization model that emerged in the 19th century. The text presents documented results from the use of rock dust in various countries, with production increases of 6-26% depending on the crop, and concludes by proposing the creation of rock-dust production plants of social interest for peasant communities in Latin America.