Today, the dietary supplement industry is growing rapidly, and this is no coincidence. For decades, we have been producing food under a conventional agricultural system that has neglected, or rather given little importance to, the soil, even though it is the primary source of minerals in human nutrition.

Today there is much greater awareness of the importance of the soil and this is how a series of movements such as "Save the Soil", documentaries such as "Kiss the soil" and many more have appeared.

The above is not accidental and simply stems from the importance of soil in plant nutrition, combined with the natural microbial flora that should exist in all soils. However, since this is not the case in most areas where intensive agriculture is practiced, due to conventional production methods, this combination is rarely found.

This increased awareness, coupled with technological development, is allowing for a more precise understanding of the nutritional content of food. There are even laboratories, in conjunction with companies that sell agricultural inputs that are more environmentally and soil-friendly, developing collaborative projects to evaluate agricultural products and, in the near future, certify food or agricultural facilities under a standard of work that is not only more sustainable but also medicinal for humans.

The integration of techniques such as the incorporation of organic matter, guano and compost of different types into the soils, as well as the inoculation of native microbial flora and in some other cases introduced flora, allows, in addition to promoting the circular economy, feeding the soils with microbiology, a key factor in their development and in the associated vegetation.

Among the variables to be measured in both vegetables and fruits are proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals, and moisture, among others.

This aims not only to improve human nutrition, with all that this implies from a health perspective, but also to improve the environment by having more vibrant soils that capture carbon and therefore indirectly help with climate change.

Technology, artificial intelligence, and cell phones have developed rapidly in recent decades, so it is not difficult to imagine practical and fast measurement systems that measure variables such as those mentioned above in any vegetable and fruit, allowing the consumer to discriminate not only by the appearance of the product, but rather by its internal quality and richness.

This latest trend will force conventional agriculture to transform into an agriculture that takes advantage of natural phenomena, combines or enhances them for human benefit, and is not only more consistent with nature but also manages to function in a more symbiotic way.

Renzo Canepa Gutierrez Chile renzo@agrocanepa.cl - + 56 9 79053241 Agro Canepa SpA