Assorted Organic Waste Businesses
Location: Addis-Ababa, Ethiopia
In Addis-Ababa, there are few public and private initiatives working to convert organic solid waste into a business. Mintesinot is an association that comprises youth groups that are striving to make a living by adding value to waste through the connection of solid waste (human and livestock), urban agriculture (backyard gardening and livestock), beekeeping, and energy production. They are engaged in vegetable production, pig and sheep fattening, dairy, and poultry. Mintesinot partners with Shito another youth cooperative that supplies human excreta for compost production. While it is not common, it is possible to use human excreta for compost production that will be used for food production however it needs to be tested and monitored. Therefore, Shito has placed portable toilets in the neighbourhood and transports the human excreta to the composting site where they are experimenting in collaboration with Hawassa University.
Read more: Fashion Art Food: Stories of people turning waste to livelihood.