Proponent
Seth Cook, IIED;
Chris Henderson, Practical Action UK
Menila Kharel, Practical Action Nepal
Afsari Begum, Practical Bangladesh
Abdur Rob, Practical Bangladesh
Sujan Piya, Practical Action Nepal
Main responsible entity
Practical Action, IIED
Date/Timeframe
2016
Funding source
DFID
Location
Bangladesh and Nepal
Background/Context
According to the FAO, one third of the world’s soils are moderately to severely degraded. Unsustainable farming practices can lead to a decline in soil organic matter, and a change in soil structure that reduces water retention and microbial activity. These effects in turn diminish agriculture’s ability to withstand drought and climate change, and the soil’s ability to provide nutrients to plants. They also contribute to pollution and soil erosion.
One solution to this problem is to improve soil fertility through greater applications of compost, manure and other organic fertilizers. However, organic matter in rural areas of South Asia is often in short supply. Mechanisation has replaced draught animals with tractors, livestock rearing is in decline and crop and animal residues tend to be mostly used for fuel and fodder rather than returned to the soil. Meanwhile, government agricultural policies heavily favor chemical fertilizer over organic fertilizer. As a result of all these trends, not enough organic matter is making it back to the fields to sustain healthy soils.
In light of the organic matter shortages in rural areas, making use of urban organic waste is an attractive option, as it can address several problems at once. The production of urban organic waste in South Asian countries has grown significantly in tandem with urbanisation and economic development. In fact, the management of municipal solid wastes remains one of the most neglected areas of urban development in many developing countries. In Bangladesh, municipalities generate approximately 13,000 tons of waste a day and spend about 10-15 per cent of their budget on solid waste management. Despite such heavy expenditures, waste continues to pose a threat to public health and environmental quality in general.
Some 60-70 per cent of waste produced in urban areas in Bangladesh is organic, while the rest is inorganic. While markets (mostly informal) exist for inorganic waste, this is not the case for organic waste. Considering the large amounts of organic waste that are generated, there is clear potential to use these materials for productive purposes, such as energy generation or for reuse and recycling. Organic waste can be composted and turned into fertilisers for agricultural production, and can help to compensate for shortages of organic materials in rural areas. The conversion of urban organic waste into fertilizer is one of the strategies that is being used to address problems of soil fertility in rural areas of Bangladesh and Nepal.
Focus/Objectives
To improve soil fertility in Bangladesh and Nepal through collaboration and a system facilitation approach to the markets and mindsets of actors relevant to organic fertilizer and compost value chains.
Key characteristics of the experience/process
Greater use of organic fertilizer and/or other methods of improving soil fertility require coordinated action at many levels. Collaboration can address issues in the organic fertilizer sub-sector and achieve actions beyond the reach of individual actors or interventions. In particular, collaboration is needed:
• with farmers and their communities to understand their constraints and build capacity to produce their own compost
• with policymakers to ensure an enabling environment for investors, manufacturers, traders and farmers
• with investors and manufacturers to develop the supply side of the sub-sector, including agro-dealers and providers of knowledge and advice.
With this need in mind, the action research helped to establish collaborative mechanisms to drive innovation and coordinated action in both countries. These collaborative mechanisms involved a series of multi-stakeholder platforms combined with action planning and implementation of a common agenda. Thus they were far more than just a discussion platform, instead requiring sustained engagement by key partners and stakeholders.
Key actors involved and their role
Practical Action Bangladesh – implementation role
Practical Action Nepal – implementation role
Practical Action UK – advisory role
International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) – advisory role and lead on publications
Key changes observed with regards to food security and nutrition and sustainable agriculture and food systems
In Bangladesh, consumers are demanding safe food and this demand is creating opportunities for producers and marketers alike. One of the key changes we observed is a growing awareness by farmers of the negative impacts of excessive chemical fertilizer and pesticide applications. Most farmers said that they are using organic fertilizer and compost on lands growing food for own consumption. However, due to limited supplies of organic fertilizer, they are not able to do the same for their commercial crops.
At the same time, policy makers are increasingly cognizant of the need for changes in existing policies to create an enabling environment for organic fertilizer value chains. This includes the need to liberalize the licensing policy and remove requirements for organic fertilizer producers to have their own laboratory for testing samples. Meanwhile, collaborative mechanisms bringing together farmers, government officials, NGOs and the private sector have become self-perpetuating.
In Nepal, the Soil Management Directorate of the Department of Agriculture has committed to leading the collaborative mechanism and working with other stakeholders to strengthen organic fertilizer value chains. The country’s long term Agriculture Development Strategy has also highlighted the need for improving soil fertility through organic matter. Upscaling the use of organic fertilizer can contribute to reversing soil fertility decline and also has potential to increase the productivity of Nepal’s agriculture, which is the lowest in South Asia.
Challenges faced
Work on organic fertilizer value chains is still at an early stage in Bangladesh and Nepal, and has encountered significant obstacles. The policy environment and input distribution system in both countries still heavily favours chemical fertilizer over organic fertilizer. It has also been difficult to convince farmers to use balanced applications of chemical and organic fertilizers.
Lessons/Key messages
To break the vicious cycle whereby intensive agriculture in South Asia depletes soil organic matter and increases vulnerability to drought, an integrated approach is required which balances applications of organic and chemical fertilizers and promotes agronomic practices that enhance soil fertility. Research is needed to develop cost-effective agronomic and market-based strategies adapted to the wide range of circumstances and kinds of farmers. Ensuring that large enough quantities of organic matter are returned to soils will require policies that raise awareness of soil fertility problems, encourage and support organic matter value chains, simplify licensing procedures and unrealistic standards, build capacity among companies, secure sufficient quantities of raw materials from multiple sources, and stimulate demand.
One of the key lessons of this case study is that such value chains for commodities such as organic fertilizer do not simply materialise by themselves. They need to be nurtured over time, and require action by multiple stakeholders. This includes the private sector, NGOs, Government agencies and farmers. Knowledgeable and well-respected civil society organisations have a crucial role to play in facilitating collaborative mechanisms between different actors and building momentum.
Mr. Seth Cook