From human waste to fertilizer to fuel: rice yields green charcoal in Senegal
Inadequate management of in much of the developing world. Swelling urban populations can make matters worse by exposing increasingly dense populations to illnesses carried by human waste.
Some, however, are making good use of the surplus sewage. Rather than allow the urine and fecal matter to lie fallow, some have taken to .
This practice not only makes fertilizer more readily available to farmers who might not have easy access to it in conventional forms, it is also significantly less expensive than using inorganic and synthetic fertilizers, which are often imported. Furthermore, when water is in short supply.
It is with these benefits in mind that groups like AgriDjalo, a small limited liability company focused on rice cultivation, are looking to start projects in Senegal that use urban biomass (primarily human waste) to fertilize rice fields. With over , there is an abundant supply of human fertilizer.
AgriDjalo鈥檚 project could have the added benefit of decreasing reliance on rice imports. In 2012 alone, of rice, accounting for more than 6 percent of its total imports and presenting a considerable strain on the nation鈥檚 trade balance. As the , Senegal has much to gain, both in terms of income generation and decreased import dependency, from an increase in domestic rice production.
The project also seeks to use leftover rice husks and straw in the production of . In this way, the unused byproducts of rice cultivation can be utilized to create an alternative to the wood charcoal, firewood, and butane gas traditionally used to generate energy.
In Senegal, where and 70 percent of the urban population relies on imported butane, green charcoal from rice represents a sustainable and affordable fuel source.
Combating both import dependency and deforestation while utilizing readily available fertilizer, projects such as this demonstrate that sustainable agricultural practices have the potential to improve food and income security for many in less developed countries.
鈥� Andrew Alesbury is a former administrative assistant at the Worldwatch Institute.
鈥� at a blog published by the .
