By Miakoda Ford – Art in Tanzania Intern
Environmental Advocacy Program
With the observable changes in weather patterns, such as shifts in rainfall patterns and intensified storms, rural communities in Tanzania struggle to maintain their traditional agricultural way of life. Continuing to produce the crops and quantities needed is becoming gradually more challenging. It is understood and observed that rain patterns have been abnormal in recent years; however, other environmental factors negatively affecting crops are far less noticeable. As most people know, crops need water, sunlight, and soil, and healthy crops produce healthy food, which in turn makes healthy people. Yet, in reality, the equation is far more complex than that. Some crops can easily be over-watered or receive too much direct sunlight, and air quality also affects their growth.
However, the most crucial element in crop production is the soil. Soil is not only what holds and supports plants, but it is also what provides nutrients to crops. Healthy soil can retain far more water than thin, dusty soil, combating the issue of inconsistent watering. Healthy soil also helps to protect the plants from illness, bacteria, and underground pests. The most important aspect of healthy soil is that it gives nutrients and vitamins to the plants we eat. Growing crops in the same plot of land season after season depletes all the nutrients from the soil, causing a decrease in crop yield and a decline in human health. With changes in the environment, including variability in rainfall, an increase in annual temperature, and the prevalence of harmful chemicals derived from plastics, the best way to ensure crop health does not drastically decrease is to improve soil health. Soil health can be
drastically improved with natural fertilizer, and natural fertilizer can easily be made with little to no cost by composting food waste.
The widespread lack of a thorough waste management system, especially in agricultural regions, causes food waste to pile up near common living spaces or even areas where food is prepared. This hurts human health in several ways. This form of waste management emits a greenhouse gas called Methane that amplifies weather patterns by changing the atmosphere’s chemistry at an unnatural speed. However, more importantly for the community, food waste attracts a wide range of insects. Cholera is a widespread and severe illness in these areas and flies broadly spread it. Flies feed on human waste and rotting food, so illness occurs more frequently when these materials are close to fresh food. With better-managed food waste, illness would be less frequent and less severe.
Common waste consists of fresh fruit and vegetable peels, cooked starchy food waste, and cow, chicken, goat, and fish scraps. These materials attract vermin and insects, but they are also rich in organic nutrients. If these materials were properly composted, human health would improve due to both the increased crop yield and the reduction of illnesses.
Composting utilises food scraps and other natural materials, such as grass clippings and coconut husks, to produce a natural, nutrient-rich fertiliser. Composting requires attention and effort, but it is a highly effective way to enhance water retention in soil, improve crop production, and promote crop health. If the plastics were removed from these images, all the materials could be the starting point for a healthy, nutrient-rich fertiliser. Properly combining compostable materials
initiates a thermal reaction between the materials that causes them to break down while producing nutrients. The main things needed are airflow, warmth, moisture and a three-to-one ratio of ‘brown’ and ‘green’ ingredients. Direct sunlight can also accelerate the process. Brown ingredients refer to carbon-rich materials such as dry leaves, sticks, and ash.
While green ingredients, such as food waste, manure, and fresh grass clippings, are nitrogen-rich materials, the reaction that causes composting to be successful depends on the interaction between carbon- and nitrogen-rich materials. Therefore, it is essential to pay attention to what you are putting into your compost. Composting can be done on a small scale in trash cans or buckets, but it is essential to make small holes in the container you use so that heat and air can flow through. It is also necessary to use a lid. Thin layers are best because the ‘brown’ and ‘green’ materials must be in direct contact. If you have food waste, place it in your compost container, cover it with a ‘brown’ layer, and then secure the lid.
The smaller the food scraps are, the faster the fertilizer will form, so tear and grind materials when possible. It is vital to keep the compost moist — but not wet– so you should only add water as needed. If the compost appears slimy or smelly, add extra ‘brown’ materials or even some dirt. Mixing or stirring the layers every three or four days speeds up the process. Using a bucket, you can roll it gently with the lid on. It is essential to make sure no plastic contaminates the process. Only the materials listed below should be incorporated.
If you would like to compost on a larger scale to suit your crop production and food waste level, outdoor compost piles are easy to start and maintain. The simplest way to start an outdoor compost pile is to place a pole or branch in the ground and create layers of materials around it. The first layer should consist of more extensive ‘brown’ materials, such as tree clippings and hay. Then, you can add a thin layer of food waste and more ‘brown’ materials on top. You can collect the food waste in any closed container; ensure no other unnatural trash contaminates it.
Several households can contribute their waste to the same pile. So, when you need to empty your jar of rotting food scraps, please take it to the outdoor pile and create another layer. Whenever you add the ‘green’ ingredients, add a ‘brown’ layer on top to ensure the reaction will occur. Covering the food waste with dry leaves and other materials also helps to prevent pests from disturbing the pile. When your pile has formed you can remove the pole in the center which the layers were formed around, this will allow heat and air to flow efficiently throughout the pile and it will increase the speed of the process. When the pile is first formed you should cover it with a tarp or rice sacks weighed down by a few rocks, this insures that it does not become too moist and it traps all the materials, forcing the reaction to occur. A few days after food waste has been added, you can stir the pile to help the layers mix and break down. When your compost appears as dark, thick dirt, the process is complete, and you can use the fertiliser wherever your crops are growing.
Continuing the process will gradually yet significantly improve your garden or field of crops. The more fertiliser you add, the better your crops will be. Improving your soil improves your health, allowing you to produce plentiful and vitamin-rich foods.
