URBAN & PERI-URBAN AGRICULTURE (UPA) IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA:

Waste Recycling, Environmental Contamination, Food Safety, and Human

Health

Presentation to The African Development Bank Tunis,

2 May 2004

By

Alhaji Sheikh JengResearcher

Norwegian Centre for Soil and Environmental Research, Fredrik A. Dahls vei 20, N-1432 Aas,

Norway

Introduction

Linkage between UPA and waste management (solid and liquid)

Potentials of waste and UPA in poverty alleviation

Waste reuse, food safety and HealthSocioeconomic benefits of UPA

Food securityEmployment and income generation

PolicyAgriculturalUrban planning

Research Needs

Introduction…..

Demographic growth and increase in urbanization –challenges of the next decade!

World’s population living in the cities is on the increase

No. of poor people living in urban areas in developing countries is also on the increase1988 about 25%2000 about 56%

90% of urban growth takes place in developing countries!

Introduction…..

Increasing urban populations• Increase in urban food demands• Increase in waste production• Poor waste handling and health

implications• Widespread Poverty

World Population, 1950 - 2050

0,0

2,0

4,0

6,0

8,0

10,0

1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2020 2030 2040 2050Years

bill

ion

s

WorldDeveloped CountriesDeveloping Countries

Source: http://earthtrends.wri.org/

Urban population as percent of total population, 1950 - 2030

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2020 2030

% o

f to

t. p

op.

Developed Countries Developing Countries Sub- Saharan Africa

Source: http://earthtrends.wri.org/

Urban Populations in SSA, 1950 - 2030

0

50

100

150

200

250

Y1950 Y2000 Y2030

(millions)

WA

EA

CA

SA

Source: UN Dept. Econ. & Social Affairs, 1999 Year

Percentage of the total population living in urban areas, 1950, 2000

and 2030

Source: UN Dept. Econ. & Social Affairs, 1999

Solid waste production, wastewater and garbage collection (1997 figures)

Location Solid waste

per capita (kg yr.-1)

Tot. Waste

generated (mill. tons yr.-

1)

Households with garbage collectio

n (%)

Wastewater

treated (%)

Abidjan 365 1.6 70 58

Ibadan 401 1.6 40 -

Kinshasa 438 1.9 0 3

Bujumbura

511 0.14 41 4

Lomé 693 0.6 37 -

TORONTO 511 1.3 100 100

Source: Habitat, 1997 (Figures in red are author’s own derivations)

% of total garbage uncollected in some African urban centres, 1993

0 20 40 60 80 100 120

Botswana

Egypt

Angola

Kenya

CAR

Tanzania

Uganda

Sudan

Ethiopia

Lack of systematic, formal waste collection / disposal systems, The Bakoteh dumpsite, Gambia

Photo: Alhaji S. Jeng, 2004

Solid and liquid waste as resources in UPA and in income for the urban poor – Urgent need for research

Photo: Alhaji S. Jeng, 2004 Koné Doulaye et al.(2001). Le lagunage à macrophyte et l’irrigation en maraîchage : étude d’une station expérimentaleà Ouagadougou. Revue InfoCrepa n°31. 2001

Need for research on the constraints faced by UPA

UPA is growing in SSA but facesnumerous constraints

Health problems associated with waste

Precarious access to land, capital (credit) and sufficient “safe” water – policy issues

Input unavailability Lack of recognition from policy-makers Produce marketing and storage

constraints

Some Constraints (contd.)

Pollution of air, soil and waterExclusion in the national advisory

andextension services

Health problems associated with waste- Incineration of waste at a dump located in an urban residential area in Serekunda, Gambia

Photo: Alhaji S. Jeng, 2004

Proportion of the urban population engaged in agriculture

Libreville (Gabon) 80 %Six cities in Tanzania 68 %Lusaka (Zambia) 45 %Maputo (Mozambique) 37 %Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso) 36 %

Yaounde (Cameroon) 35 %Kampala (Uganda) 36 %

Knowledge gaps exist in….

Waste as resourceStrong traditions of waste reuse in SSASoil fertility maintenance

Quantitative needs of organic waste in UPA

Quality and value of waste as fertilizerPossible phytotoxic, environmental and

health impacts of waste fertilizers and irrigation wastewater– (Very little work on metals and

agrochemicals in UPA (both in “waste” resources, and from other sources (industrial activity, traffic pollution))

High potentials for employment and income generation

Therefore a project is proposed to look into the potentials and constraints in UPA and waste management in SSA, in the context of:

Food securityPoverty alleviationPublic healthSustainable resource management

The project will be executed in East and West Africa

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Country / geographical location:Description of natural base, demography,

economy and market opportunitiesNARI Partners to be involved:

Norwegian Centre for Soil & Env. Res.; Norwegian Crops Res. Institute

Local Partners in research: East Africa: Univ. Nairobi (Kenya); Centre

National de la Recherche Appliquée au Développement Rural, FOFIFA (Madagascar); Urban Harvest – the CGIAR Systemwide Initiative on UPA.

West Africa: Institute Nationale de Recherche Agronomique du Niger (INRAN); Institut de l'environnement et des recherches agricoles (INERA), Burkina Faso.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION (Contd.)

Other partnersMinistries of Agriculture (MOA) and Environment

(MOE), National Environment Agencies, Health Authorities, Medical Research Facilities (where they exist), Local NGOs,National agricultural advisory services, Municipal Authorities, UPA farmers and actors in waste management

Goals of the projectCharacterize urban waste types and

management in one selected city in each of the project countries

Build capacity on handling and recycling of organic waste in pilot cities / municipalities of the selected cities

Recognise waste as a resourceAlleviate / eradicate urban food insecurity

through increased production of safe foodRaise the living standards of urban poor

through employment and income generating waste management and recycling activities

Facilitate an enabling policy environment for UPA and waste management and

Create a healthier environment for the urban poor.

Specific Objectives To raise awareness among the UPA farmers on:

the dangers relating to the handling of municipal waste;

the importance of source separation in waste handling;

To scientifically document the pathways of food contamination in UPA;

To develop sustainable methods of reducing metal loads in waste (solid and liquid) to be used in UPA;

To train UPA farmers in the adoption of such methods;

To promote composting as an income generating activity;

Capacity building: To increase capacity for the study and management of rural-urban nutrient cycling;

Expected outputs

Database established on:Quantity and quality of waste available in

each of the pilot cities;Technologies in solid and liquid waste

recycling;Applied GIS methodologies in identifying

suitable dumping sites for waste

Expected outputs (contd.)

HealthThe hazards associated with re-use of

solid and liquid wastes documented;Awareness raised among UPA farmers,

health and sanitation authorities on hazards associated with waste and importance of source separation handling, and the potentials of organic waste as fertilizer

Methods of reducing contaminant loads in waste to be used in UPA developed;

UPA farmers trained in the adoption of such methods.

Expected outputs (contd.)

Composting promoted as an employment and income generating activity for the urban unemployed

Research and outreach capacity in rural-urban nutrient cycling

Key policy issues relating to UPA addressed and discussed with policy makers

Five Guiding Principles for Policymaking In support of organic waste management in urban agriculture

Conclusion

1. Linking organic waste management to UPA and land use planning

Location of waste recycling stations

2. Separating solid organic waste at the source

Implementing communication and education strategies

Developing municipal programs and campaigns for waste collection and recycling

3. Developing appropriate technologiesUsing solid organic waste for compostUsing solid organic waste for animal feedAppropriate, low-cost liquid waste treatment

4. Generating revenuesCounting benefitsCo-financing projectsPromoting the development of

microenterprises5. Pooling resources

Municipalities joining resources for:– collective decision-making and – awareness campaigns– technical cooperation in waste

management

Herbert Girardet, Middlesex University, a UN Global 500 Award winner

1. ”In the developing world in particular, urban agriculture can greatly contribute to:• urban food security• improved nutrition• poverty alleviation and • local economic development”.

2. ”Whilst urban farming is being recognised more and more as an important source of food and income generation in cities around the world, adequate institutional frameworks at national, municipal and local levels are still often lacking”.

Herbert Girardet…….

3. ”Urban agriculture tends to focus on products that require closeness to the urban markets such as vegetables, flowers, poultry and eggs”.

4. ”Opposition to urban agriculture has tended to come mainly from public health and urban planning circles because of concern about water pollution and soils contaminated by heavy metals”.

Thank you for your attention !

Alhaji S. Jeng (Ph.D)Norwegian Institute for Agricultural and

Environmental ResearchFredrik A. Dahls veien 20 A

1432 AasNORWAY

Budgets & Time-frames

Total budget: (to be computed), butCan be expected to be around NOK 6 million or€ 726 000$ 872 000over a 3 - 4 years