Thousands of research papers are available on internet about the preparation and uses of compost. Solid waste generation and disposal is a growing problem across the globe. Composting is one easy and cost effective method for waste recycling and management. But there is a question, how to convince a farmer to use compost. Each farmer is interested in production and saving of time. He/she may not have time to prepare compost. If solid waste managers prepare solid waste, what mechanism may be adopted to utilize the prepared compost?
It is important that solid waste managers will spend money to prepare compost and will expect some profit. Farmers will expect some discount or subsidy on the ready-made compost. In such situations what mechanism may be adopted to encourage this business of composting?
IMHO decentralized composting and use should be incentivized.
Farmers use their compost for centuries, and it is the best practice. You cannot expect farmers to pay for compost from external sources, not even to allow to dispose of compost in their lands for free. I would choose the risk-free, well-known fertilizer 10 out of 10 above an unknown compost. Compost from municipality waste is mixed with WWT plant solid, and sometimes it is contaminated with heavy metals.
In the EU, the compost is used to re-cultivate old landfills and old mines or the municipality use it in its lands, parks, and urban forests (non food production sites). I think the same approach should be followed; everybody should use its own compost.
So, the self-composting and use should be taught and incentivized, not the compost market. If a compost plant produces more compost than the need, they need to buy lands and manage the waste correctly.
The strategy to promote compost making and use among farmers should be an integrated effort among government, agricultural universities and growers. Through a robust program in education and extension the universities should establish trials in research farms that become sites for hands-on learning and demonstrations available to farmers. Government should provide subsidies and appropriate economic incentives to promote the use of compost among farmers. The success of a program at the local level, could easily become adopted, or adapted to/for more communities. Education for all becomes the vehicle leading to success as soon as everyone (even non-farmers) understand the agronomic, environmental and economic benefits of composting.
In rural areas, preparation of compost is not a problem. In cities, solid waste / compost is always surplus and is a problem.
Energy crop production sites could be a very good disposal places. The improved yield could pay off the compost transportation and distribution cost, and it is almost risk free.
Urban agriculture could be the key factor to make composting more acceptable for cities. Ultimately, it is a massive education effort in order to reconnect a majority of people with nature and ecological processes. This the present growing rate of urbanization world wide it is imperative to make cities biologically productive. Thus, growing food in the city through family, or community gardens has potential to educate and inspire people to value biomass and its composting process.
I think there should be certain incentive for farmers practicing the compost in scientific maner.This can be by waiving of electricity charges for tubewell or giving subsidies for other agri inputs.
To be attractive for farmers, the use of ready-made compost should be cost-efficicient. Due to the fact that for this compost use farmers need effort and money, they will evaluate rapidly what they will gain after using that compost on their farms. Where agricultural products demand exists, and the farmers are sure to realize profit, the use of compost will be neccessarily attractive.
Composting facilities in the vicinity of cities can be valuable to:
-produce part of the electricity needs for the city via anaerobic composting
-produce compost for urban and peri-urban agriculture
-educate citizens to be less wasteful and also contribute to the effort of recycling valuable biomass. The article I am attaching is what has been accomplished in my home town.
Making a compost in rural areas in a natural process and going on since time immemorial. The composting at urban areas is to be intensify through a special mechanism to reduce solid waste into value product.
Dear Mr. Nafees Mohammad , I think, by reducing the amount of non-organic fertilizers, or chemical based fertilizers, compost and organic based fertilizers are much safer, especially for the habitat and ecosystem itself. actually the land is able to fix itself, but due to pollution and factors of land damage and extreme weather factors, soil fertility decreases.
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