Sustainable Agriculture Innovation

Brazil Eyes Struvite as Sustainable Alternative to Imported Phosphate Fertilizers

Transforming Swine Wastewater into a Strategic Circular Nutrient Source

What is the strategic importance of the news about Brazil Eyes Struvite?
Embrapa researchers are positioning struvite—a mineral recovered from swine wastewater—as a viable domestic alternative to imported phosphate. With Brazil currently importing nearly 75% of its phosphate demand, this breakthrough offers a pathway to reduce dependency on global supply chains while converting environmental waste into a high-value agricultural input for major staples like soybean and wheat.

How does struvite perform in field trials compared to conventional fertilizers?
Field trials led by Embrapa demonstrate that Brazil Eyes Struvite as a highly efficient option, capable of supplying up to 50% of the phosphorus required for soybean cultivation. Productivity reached approximately 3,500 kg per hectare—comparable to conventional fertilizers—while benefiting from a slow-release mechanism that prevents nutrient fixation in highly weathered tropical soils.

What are the environmental and economic benefits of scaling struvite production?
Beyond fertilizer security, struvite production addresses water pollution and greenhouse gas emissions associated with livestock waste. By recovering 12% phosphorus, 10% magnesium, and 5% nitrogen from effluents, Brazil has the potential to produce hundreds of thousands of tons annually, particularly in regions with concentrated swine farming, fostering a resilient circular economy in agriculture.

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Brazilian researchers are positioning struvite, a mineral recovered from swine wastewater, as a promising domestic alternative to imported phosphate fertilizers, offering a potential breakthrough in sustainable nutrient management and circular agriculture. Recent studies led by the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation, Embrapa, suggest that the slow-release fertilizer could significantly reduce the country’s dependence on imported phosphorus while maintaining crop productivity in major staples such as soybean and wheat.

Brazil currently imports nearly 75% of its phosphate fertilizer demand, making the agricultural sector vulnerable to global supply disruptions and price volatility. Researchers say struvite presents an opportunity to transform agricultural waste into a strategic nutrient source. Produced through the recovery of phosphorus, nitrogen, and magnesium from swine effluents, struvite aligns with the principles of the circular economy by converting environmental waste into a high-value agricultural input.

Field trials conducted by Embrapa researchers demonstrated that struvite could supply up to 50% of the phosphorus required for soybean cultivation while maintaining yields close to Brazil’s national average. Scientists observed soybean productivity reaching approximately 3,500 kg per hectare using struvite-based fertilization, comparable to yields obtained with conventional phosphate fertilizers.

According to researchers, one of struvite’s key advantages lies in its slow-release behavior. Unlike conventional phosphate fertilizers that are rapidly fixed in tropical soils, struvite gradually releases nutrients, improving phosphorus recovery efficiency and reducing nutrient losses. This characteristic is particularly relevant for Brazil’s highly weathered tropical soils, which tend to immobilize phosphorus quickly after application.

Scientific reviews also highlight that struvite contains approximately 5% nitrogen, 12% phosphorus, and 10% magnesium, making it a multifunctional nutrient source. Studies suggest the fertilizer can outperform several alternative phosphorus sources, including manure, composts, and phosphate rock powders, especially when combined with soluble fertilizers for higher-yield cropping systems.

Researchers believe Brazil has strong potential to scale up struvite production, particularly in regions with concentrated swine farming operations. Estimates indicate that medium- and large-scale livestock operations could collectively produce hundreds of thousands of tons of struvite annually through nutrient recovery technologies.

Beyond improving fertilizer security, the development could also help address environmental concerns associated with livestock waste disposal. By recovering nutrients from wastewater streams, struvite production may contribute to reducing water pollution and greenhouse gas emissions linked to conventional fertilizer manufacturing.

While researchers acknowledge that further field validation is needed under tropical and subtropical farming conditions, early findings position struvite as a viable pathway toward more resilient and resource-efficient agriculture in Brazil.

Embrapa – Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation

Circular Agriculture Report | May 2026 | Brasília, Brazil