Olufunke Cofie, A. Adam-Bradford and Pay Drechsel

In: Cities Farming for the Future - Urban Agriculture for Green and Productive Cities

Sustainable management of solid waste is a major challenge being faced by municipal authorities across the world, both in the North and the South. In developing countries, urban waste remains a serious problem that causes contamination of soil and water bodies and endangers human health and the environment. Much of the solid waste consists of organic matter that can be recycled into a profitable input (compost) for urban agriculture. Composting the large quantities of organic matter provides a win-win strategy by reducing waste flows, enhancing soil properties, recycling valuable soil nutrients and creating livelihoods, but there remain several constraints that explain why this opportunity is seldom exploited. This chapter discusses the benefits of constraints to composting and presents a framework for analysis and planning of composting interventions. The arguments and models contained in the chapter are supported with case study material from Ghana, Philippines and Kenya.