URBAN ORGANIC SOLID WASTE:PRACTICES IN NAIROBI 253
premises. Others spoke of their wish to diversify their activities into provision of better
sanitation services, different types of farming and the construction of houses for rental
by group members One group indicated that they intend to develop a training institute
on agro-forestry and composting, whereas another described plans for starting the oper-
ations of the already registered Nairobi Compost Co-ordinating Group.
Motivations for urban farming
The majority of urban farmers have a positive perception regarding the application and
use of urban organic waste. The main reasons for applying urban organic waste is its
effectiveness as a fertilizer, as a soil conditioner, and for the improvement of soil
texture, crop yield and health of plants. Urban organic waste, they contend, has
commercial value and is profitable, given its effect on farm productivity. They also
attach great importance to some intangible rewards of farming such as knowing that
people appreciate what they do, and the benefits for the family. It should be noted that
the ‘organic waste’ they have in mind is farmyard manure, vegetable waste, and
compost. No indication of the beneficial effects of each of these waste applications is
apparent from the farmers’ responses, but it is evident from the pattern of application
that the relative proportion of these wastes applied would partly depend upon availa-
bility at any given time. A more important reason, however, would be the sometimes
prohibitive and unaffordable costs of artificial fertilizers Small-scale commu-
nity-based composting groups sell ready compost on site to farmers in bags of 20 kg
for Ksh. 3.50 (US$ 0.05) to Ksh. 5.0 (US$ 0.065) per kg (Davies et al., 1998), whereas
chemical fertilizers could sell for anything up to hundreds of Kenya shillings per
kilogram.
Farmers’ opinions on use of urban organic waste
Farmers who use urban organic waste believe that it has a positive impact in the long
run, especially as a soil conditioner, including improvement in soil texture and
fertility. They also think that it gives an improvement in crop and livestock yield as
well as enhances water retention capacity.
It was evident in the analysis of our results that the most common observation among
organic farmers was that yields of plants increased on the treated areas in comparison
with nearby untreated areas. Thus, an increase in total food production is the most
common effect of the use of organic waste on agricultural land, as far as food chains
are concerned.
12.9. CONTRIBUTIONS TO SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
Like the federation of pickers in Quezon City, Mexico (Vincentian Missionaries,
1998), urban organic waste handlers in Nairobi are actually serving at least two impor-