Soil Remineralization in Agroecological Systems—A Critical Review

Abstract. Soil health underpins global food security, human nutrition, biodiversity, water quality, and climate stability. Soil remineralization, the application of finely ground natural rock materials (rock dust), is a holistic, nature-based practice to restore these soil ecosystem services and help mitigate climate change. Decades of intensive and industrial agriculture, as well as land degradation, have diminished soil fertility, reduced the nutrient density of crops, and destabilized natural cycles of key elements such as carbon and nitrogen. This review evaluates soil remineralization as an agroecological strategy, by synthesizing historical evidence, biogeochemical data, and results from field trials and greenhouse experiments to assess four core hypotheses: (1) soil remineralization provides an effective, integrated strategy to address food insecurity, nutrient deficiencies, environmental impacts, and climate stabilization; (2) successful implementation requires a whole-system approach that integrates biological, geochemical, agronomic, hydrological, and climatic processes; (3) co-application with organic inputs, biological amendments, and biochar enhances soil fertility more than rock dust alone; and (4) the ultimate benefit of soil remineralization lies in restoring the full suite of ecosystem services rather than maximizing single outcomes such as crop yield or carbon removal. The review concludes that soil remineralization is a scientifically robust, historically validated, and socially relevant practice that offers low-cost, scalable pathways for food security, sustainable soil management, and climate mitigation. Its successful adoption, however, depends on systems-based implementation, careful material sourcing, and integration with organic and biological amendments to maximize whole-ecosystem benefits while minimizing risks.