Key Information: Utilizing banana and potato peels, discarded food, and vegetable scraps, biogas can be generated along with an...
Key Information:
- Utilizing banana and potato peels, discarded food, and vegetable scraps, biogas can be generated along with an integrated bio-fertilizer and bio-pesticide.
- The advancement of generating biogas, bio-pesticides, and bio-fertilizers from organic waste aims to combat deforestation.
In Uganda, the reliance of households on wood-based energy sources is still predominant.
As per the 2024 National Population and Housing Census, 8 out of 10 rural households depend on firewood for cooking, which is twice the 41 percent of urban households that mainly use charcoal.
In total, 65 percent of Uganda's 10.6 million households rely on firewood as their primary energy source.
Due to President Museveni's prohibition of charcoal production, along with the increasing expense of electricity and the widely recognized health and environmental dangers linked to wood fuel, there is an immediate demand for cost-effective and clean energy options.
In this setting, six scholars from various universities have created a cost-effective bio-digester that can transform domestic food scraps into biogas for cooking and illumination.
The final bioslurry is enhanced with plant-based ingredients to create a combined bio-fertilizer and bio-pesticide that increases agricultural production while safeguarding plants against typical pests.
Three-in-one solution
Dr. Patience Tugume, the main researcher for the project at Makerere University, states that the technology, which generates biogas, bio-pesticides, and bio-fertilizers from organic waste, aims to tackle deforestation resulting from the use of firewood and charcoal, along with environmental damage linked to fossil fuels.
The uniqueness of the initiative, she explains, is based on its "threefold advantages": preserving plant species used for firewood and charcoal, lowering carbon emissions via more sustainable energy methods, and generating environmentally friendly bio-fertilizers and bio-pesticides that minimize the harmful effects of chemical agricultural products on soil and human well-being.
The project's initial showcase location has been set up at Frevasema Ltd in Biharwe, Mbarara City.
The technology is employed to support three key areas of sustainability, which are: economic sustainability by producing affordable biogas and bio-fertilizer products, environmental sustainability by minimizing deforestation and implementing eco-conscious waste management, and social sustainability by promoting skill development and improving livelihoods, particularly for women and young people.
Most biogas initiatives use cow dung as their primary source," Dr Tugume points out. "What sets us apart is our approach of utilizing a variety of household organic wastes, including banana and potato peels, food scraps, and vegetable trimmings, to generate not just biogas but also a combined bio-fertilizer and bio-pesticide.
Dr. Tugume is collaborating with Prof. Byarugaba Bazirake from the Department of Food Science and Technology at Kyambogo University; Prof. Maud Kamatenesi from MAMITA Technical and Business Management Institute, and Dr. Savina Asiimwe from the Department of Plant Sciences, Microbiology, and Biotechnology at Makerere University.
Other individuals include Ms. Catherine Kiconco, an associate researcher and assistant lecturer at Bishop Stuart University, and Mr. Robert Muhumuza, a postgraduate student in the Department of Plant Sciences, Microbiology, and Biotechnology at Makerere University.
This group of scientists is converting domestic refuse into renewable energy, enhanced soil quality, and economic prospects, helping to develop Uganda's bio-based economy and supporting a greener future.
The initiative seeks to provide families with the knowledge needed to transform organic waste into useful items.
Dr. Tugume mentions that 40 women and young people have already received training at the Mbarara location.
She mentions that the program decreases the time women and young individuals spend gathering firewood, enabling them to participate in income-producing tasks and continue their studies, which eventually contributes to lowering gender gaps.
Benefactors
She credits the project's advancement to an Early Career Research Grant she obtained from the Organisation for Women in Science for the Developing World (OWSD), a Unesco initiative supported by Canada's International Development Research Centre (IDRC).
She states that the advantages are extensive, encompassing better health because of decreased indoor smoke pollution, increased agricultural output by utilizing the combined bio-fertilizer-bio-pesticide, and financial savings for households, as they will spend less on fuel and farming supplies.
How the technology works
The breakthrough generates three outcomes: biogas, organic fertilizer, and natural pesticide through a single biological process. The method relies on spontaneous fermentation facilitated by naturally present microorganisms found in food and animal waste.
Professor Bazirake highlights that the technique showcases the potential of "biotransformation," converting organic food waste into solutions addressing issues at the household level, such as energy deficits and soil degradation.
In metropolitan areas where organic waste frequently poses a hygiene issue, the technology provides an eco-friendly way to manage it.
Unused household waste can be transformed into a revenue stream via the production of fertilizer and biogas, while simultaneously enhancing environmental cleanliness.
Ms. Kiconco points out that the initiative will also generate employment opportunities for young individuals engaged in waste collection and classification.
Biogas production will decrease dependence on firewood and charcoal," she states, "helping to slow down deforestation and maintain soil coverage.
A Ugandan academic characterized this method as "throwing one stone to kill two birds without causing harm," addressing both waste management and energy issues at the same time.
