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WHAT IS IT
Since 2018, Mosaic has been investing in the development of a line of new products that, in addition to promoting the circular economy in the fertilizer manufacturing process by reusing mining byproducts, help plants increase their climate resilience.
Phosphogypsum is one of the products generated in the phosphate fertilizer and animal feed chain. Also known as agricultural gypsum, it comes from the production process of phosphoric acid, the raw material for high-concentration soluble phosphate fertilizers such as TSP (Triple Superphosphate), MAP (Monoammonium Phosphate), and DAP (Diamonium Phosphate), as well as DCP (Dicalcium Phosphate) for animal feed.
For every ton of phosphoric acid, approximately 6 tons of gypsum are produced, requiring stacking and storage space. The development of agricultural gypsum as a product has made it possible to reduce stacking areas and the environmental risks of storage. Approximately 5.5 million tons per year are now diverted from landfills and dams.
Agricultural gypsum is used as an input to improve the characteristics of Brazilian soils. It acts by carrying calcium to subsurface layers, neutralizing aluminum, which is toxic to most agricultural crops, and is also a source of calcium and sulfur for plants. It also promotes deeper root growth, increasing the efficiency of soil water use due to better distribution and exploitation of the root system. This results in greater absorption of water and other nutrients essential for crop growth and development, especially during the winter period when there is severe water stress. By promoting root growth, it also provides conditions for greater carbon sequestration and storage in the soil, given that 60-70% of soil carbon originates from roots.
Mosaic, with the mission of helping the world produce the food it needs and supporting farmers and ranchers in their productive journey in search of high productivity, has its own production of agricultural gypsum in the units of Uberaba (MG) and Cajati (SP), from where it is shipped to more than 7 Brazilian states, in a commercialized volume of 5 million tons, benefiting approximately 5 million hectares of productive areas.
In 2022, the product was certified as organic by the Biodynamic Institute (IBD), making it suitable for use by organic farmers. By certifying gypsum as an organic product, it does not restrict these farmers from accessing the organic food market, which offers better remuneration and values products from family farms and smallholders.
Gypsum has become Mosaic's second-highest-selling product by volume, reducing the environmental impact of this byproduct's disposal in landfills and/or dams. Gypsum, in turn, benefits agricultural soils by making them more productive and adaptable to climate challenges. A distribution chain for this input has been created, creating jobs and generating income for many families.
RESULTS AND OBJECTIVES
The development of agricultural gypsum as a product has made it possible to reduce the number of stacking areas and the environmental risks associated with storage. Approximately 5.5 million tons per year have been diverted from landfills and dams.
In 2022, it obtained certification as an organic product, making it suitable for use by organic farmers. By certifying gypsum as an organic product, it does not restrict these farmers from accessing the organic food market, which offers better remuneration and values products from family farms and smallholders.
Gypsum has become Mosaic's second-highest-selling product by volume, reducing the environmental impact of this byproduct's disposal in landfills and/or dams. Gypsum, in turn, benefits agricultural soils by making them more productive and adaptable to climate challenges. A distribution chain for this input has been created, creating jobs and generating income for many families.
SDGs
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International commitments
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National Commitments
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