A new form of carbon sequestration has been gaining attention in the market: soil remineralization. This practice, recently introduced in Brazil through a partnership between two foreign startups — Germany’s InPlanet and the U.S.-based Terradot — in collaboration with Brazilian farmers, has drawn interest by generating carbon credits through the application of rock dust on farmland.
Although Brazilian agriculture is among the most productive in the world, it shows a strong dependence on imported fertilizers (NPK – nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium). Potassium is the most critical input, with about 95% of demand met by Russia and Belarus.
In recent years, the war in Ukraine and the sanctions imposed on Russia and Belarus have directly impacted the fertilizer market, leading to a sharp increase in prices. At the same time, the United States, amid trade disputes, imposed tariffs and restrictions on certain inputs, further intensifying pressure on the global market. This combination brought uncertainty to Brazil and significantly increased the costs of agricultural production — fertilizers represent, on average, 20% to 30% of total crop costs.
Thus, remineralization emerges not only as a strategic alternative to reduce dependence on imported inputs but also as a high-impact environmental solution. In addition to improving soil health and fertility at low cost, the technique promotes carbon sequestration, locking carbon stably into the soil. This innovation is gaining ground over more traditional climate mitigation methods, such as forest conservation through REDD+ or reforestation. In this case, carbon is no longer stored only by trees but is also absorbed and stored directly in the soil, paving the way for more sustainable and climate-resilient agriculture.
Scientifically, this process is known as weathering. Weathering is the natural process of breaking down and transforming rocks and minerals when exposed to surface conditions, such as temperature variations, water action, wind, living organisms, and chemical reactions. It can be physical (mechanical fragmentation, like cracking and erosion), chemical (reactions that change the composition, such as the dissolution of minerals by carbonic acid in rain), or biological (plant roots and microorganisms releasing substances that break down rocks). A classic example is the reaction of carbon dioxide (CO₂) with silicate or carbonate minerals, which results in the formation of stable new minerals and the permanent storage of carbon in soils and waters, removing it from the atmosphere.
This is why the managed use of ground rock, when done properly, intensifies the natural process through what is called enhanced weathering, a process that is favored by Brazil’s tropical climate, where high solar radiation and rainfall levels prevail.
Enhanced weathering, therefore, happens when this natural process is technologically applied at a controlled and intensified scale to capture carbon. Rather than waiting for minerals like olivine, basalt, or serpentinite to slowly react with atmospheric CO₂, the technique seeks to increase surface area (by grinding rocks), spread them on agricultural soils or coastal areas, and create favorable conditions for the chemical reaction to occur more rapidly. This approach is seen as a long-term carbon removal solution, as it transforms CO₂ into stable minerals, but it is still in the testing phase to assess economic viability, environmental impacts, and large-scale application potential.
In this context, soil remineralization through rock dust use represents more than just an agricultural innovation: it is a strategic opportunity for Brazil to reduce its external vulnerability, strengthen food security, and position itself as a leader in the global climate agenda. By combining economic gains — through reduced reliance on imported fertilizers — with long-term environmental benefits, enhanced weathering emerges as a promising path to low-carbon agriculture, capable of integrating productivity, sustainability, and resilience in a world increasingly marked by geopolitical and climate crises.
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