Chapter 7 - Sustainability of Agricultural and Rural Waste Management

Abstract

The sustainability of agricultural and rural waste management is very important for most developing countries as well as for some developed countries. The unsustainable nature of agricultural and rural waste results in environmental pollution and may ultimately lead to complete depletion of the natural resources. Agricultural wastes are recognized as having “hidden” economic value. The uses of agricultural residue include direct burning as a fuel for domestic and industrial cooking/heating and production of biogas and biomass for power generation. In addition to its use in raw forms as fuel, agricultural wastes are a form of renewable biomass and can be processed into other solid forms ( for e.g. briquettes, charcoal, pellets) or into liquid fuel through pyrolysis or gaseous fuel through gasification or biogas. Different technologies for handling this type of waste, such as composting, animal fodder, briquetting, biogas, construction materials, and silicon carbide, are discussed in this chapter. These technologies are appropriate for and applicable in both developed and underdeveloped countries. Two different case studies are included in this chapter. The first involves converting soil conditioners into organic fertilizers for organic farming by composting agricultural and rural waste. The second one combines all major sources of pollution/wastes generated in rural areas in one complex called an eco-rural park (ERP) or environmentally balanced rural waste complex (EBRWC) to produce fertilizer, energy, animal fodder, and other products, according to market and need.