A gift that falls from the sky': why farmers are using Etna's ash as fertiliser

"With every eruption, towns such as Giarre experience an average of 12,000 tonnes of ashfall daily, which the wind can transport as far as 800km (497 miles). In July 2024, Catania Sicily's second-largest city, located at the foot of Mount Etna registered 17,000 tonnes of ash daily, which took nearly 10 weeks to collect."

"It allows us to use fewer chemicals, which makes fertilising cheaper and more sustainable, respecting the equilibrium of nature without abusing it, Passanisi says. It's the future of agriculture."

"a five-year project by the University of Catania raised awareness of the potential for ash to become a resource in the production cycle of many different sectors, including agriculture."

Farmers in Giarre and other towns on Mount Etna's slopes have historically viewed volcanic ashfall as a destructive nuisance, with daily deposits reaching 12,000 to 17,000 tonnes that require extensive cleanup and threaten crops. A five-year research project by the University of Catania revealed that volcanic ash contains valuable nutrients for agricultural production. Producers like Andrea Passanisi now utilize this ash as fertilizer on their tropical and citrus fruit farms, significantly reducing chemical fertilizer dependency while lowering costs and promoting environmental sustainability. This innovative approach transforms a natural hazard into a valuable agricultural resource.

Read at www.theguardian.com