The world’s food supply is incredibly important. In an increasingly globalized world, it is more important than ever to ensure that food is secure and that everyone has access to sufficient amounts of nutritious food. Brazil is a major player in the global food supply, producing a variety of food crops that are consumed around the world. One of the key components of Brazil’s agricultural production is potash, a mineral that is essential for plant growth and fertility.
Potash is an essential component of fertilizer, which is used to increase crop yields and improve the fertility of the soil. While potash is incredibly significant to Brazil, the country is currently a net importer. Brazil is one of the world’s top food exporters but requires imports to sustain its agricultural production – more than 95% of the potash used in Brazil is imported. This is due to a monopoly on potash production from Canada, Russia, and Belarus, which control most of the market.
While the current situation puts Brazil in a fragile position, the future might look quite different. That’s why Brazil Potash, a potash mining company, is developing the Autazes Project in Brazil, with the goal of doubling twice production at the project and bringing potash production to the country. This could be a major step forward in securing the country’s food supply, as it would reduce reliance on imports and make Brazil more resilient in the face of an increasingly volatile global food system.
The Autazes Project is a significant part of Brazil’s strategy to protect its food security in a more delicate environment. For example, in 2020, Brazil was the world’s largest net exporting country of agricultural commodities, its top export being soybeans.
It is also the world’s largest producer of sugarcane and one of the top three producers of maize. These staple crops are an important part of global security, with 50% of total global crop production coming from sugarcane, maize, wheat, and rice paddy in 2020.
The future of food security also requires some shifts and increases in crop yields. That’s why fertilizer is becoming an important issue for Brazil and other countries looking to ensure their food security. With the Autazes Project, Brazil has the potential to increase fertilizer production, as well as reduce its reliance on imports, which could provide a major boost to the country’s food security.
Estimates put global food output needs at 70% higher to feed our growing population. Action needs to be taken now to increase and diversify the fertilizer supply across the global to strengthen food security systems and crop production.
Brazil Potash will extract vital potash from the source to return it to the earth as fertilizer, and help to maintain the necessary continuous growth for the agricultural sector. The project will employ a process for extracting Sylvinite, a rock made up of halite (salt) and Sylvite, or Sylvine (potassium chloride), which will not harm the earth’s surface soil or environment. The chambers and pillars technique will be utilized throughout the entire extraction operation. In order to remove the ore, which is approximately 800 meters deep, the company will need to excavate two shafts. The Sylvinite ore will be brought to the surface through these wells, and processed so that the Potassium Chloride (fertilizer) can be separated from the Sodium Chloride (kitchen salt).
Brazil Potash’s Autazes Project is a crucial step forward in ensuring the country’s food security. By increasing potash production and reducing the reliance on imports, the project could help to make Brazil more resilient in the face of an increasingly volatile global food system. The Autazes Project could also help to increase fertilizer production in Brazil, which is essential for increasing crop yields and providing sufficient amounts of food for the growing global population.
