“From every peel and scrap, Bello grows new soil, new livelihoods and new hope – turning yesterday’s waste into tomorrow’s nourishment for farmers and families.”

Video

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From Waste to Hunger: Why Bello Needs a Community‑Driven Circular Biofertiliser Solution

WIN_20260328_11_12_06_Pro.mp4

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Team 2-l: Cohort 2

1. Yogiraj Jakkal (**linkedin.com/in/yogiraj-jakkal-08326920a)**

2. Aman Raj Devesh (https://www.linkedin.com/in/amandevesh/)

3. Rudrik Desai (https://www.linkedin.com/in/rudrikdesai/)

4. Daniel Mkwanazi

Summary Section

Problem Summary

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• Bello faces interlinked problems of inefficient organic waste management, degraded soils, and growing food insecurity, which disproportionately affect vulnerable households. Most organic waste is dumped or burned rather than segregated and recovered, contributing to public‑health risks, environmental degradation and missed opportunities for soil restoration and green livelihoods.
• Farmers struggle with declining soil fertility, high input and transport costs, and limited market access, which reduce yields and the nutritional quality of locally produced food. At the same time, short‑term “dump‑and‑forget” habits, fragmented governance and limited participation by women, youth and community leaders hinder the adoption of sustainable solutions.
• There is therefore a need for an affordable, community‑driven circular system in which households and local champions segregate organic waste, and farmers, universities, NGOs and private partners co‑create a biofertiliser‑based model that improves waste handling, restores soil health and strengthens food security over time </aside>

Solution Summary

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• Bello will implement a community‑driven circular system that transforms organic waste into local opportunity (Murray et al., 2017; Zurbrügg et al., 2012). Households, guided by women‑led groups, youth eco‑collectives and local champions, will segregate organic waste at source using simple, standardised practices and tools (Reed, 2008; Pretty, 2003).
• Segregated organics will be processed in neighbourhood composting sites and small biodigesters to produce biofertiliser and, where feasible, biogas (Möller and Müller, 2012; Edwards et al., 2007). The biofertiliser will restore degraded soils, raise yields and enhance the nutritional quality of local food, with visible early benefits helping to shift short‑term “dump‑and‑forget” habits (Palm et al., 1997; Zezza and Tasciotti, 2010; Ayers and Forsyth, 2009).
• A clear baseline on waste practices, soil quality, yields and food security will be established and monitored with communities (Headey and Ecker, 2013; Sala et al., 2015). Farmers will gain from lower input costs and more reliable market access, supported by improved logistics, coordinated municipal services and shared‑value partnerships (Guerrero et al., 2013; Schaltegger et al., 2012; Porter and Kramer, 2011). </aside>

Practical Humility Clause

<aside> ℹ️ This proposal draws on recognised evidence and frameworks, but it does not fully capture the lived complexity of Bello’s communities (Ericksen, 2008; Fraser et al., 2005).

All analyses, assumptions and projected impacts are therefore provisional and must be continuously tested and refined with farmers, women‑led groups, youth and other residents as primary experts on local realities (Pretty, 2003; Mitlin, 2008).

The project team commits to active listening, transparent sharing of data and a willingness to adapt or abandon approaches when experience or new information contradicts initial plans (Reed, 2008; Sala et al., 2015).

Implementation will proceed through small, reversible steps, with explicit community consent, feedback channels and safeguards so that corrections can be made quickly and power remains shared rather than imposed (Ayers and Forsyth, 2009; London and Anupindi, 2012).

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Further Explanation Section

<aside> ℹ️ Colombia generates approximately 14 million tons of municipal solid waste annually, with an average per‑capita generation rate of 0.77 kg per person per day, and 61.5% of this waste is organic (Colorado & Echeverri‑Lopera, 2020; Kaza et al., 2018).

<aside> ℹ️ Based on this criteria and the numbers, we know that the Bello has a population of 550,000 people, approximately, and it is growing at a faster rate. Thus, the calculation for the waste generation in the Bello is as follows:

Total people: 550, 000 Total waste per person: 0.77/Kg

Total estimated waste: 423,500 Kg/day

Total organic waste (61.5%) = 260,425.5 Kg/day The total organic waste in a year is approximately 95,055 tons/year

Stakeholder collaboration:

1. Universidad de Antioquia (Medellín): (Worked in the field of environmental engineering and the agriculture research group)
2. UNAULA: (Solid waste, environmental economy and sustainability)
3. Universidad Nacional de Colombia: (Worked in the domain of agricultural science and soil resources)
4. Universidad EAFIT: (Projects working on innovation, engineering and sustainability)
5. Universidad de Medellín: (Working on the projects of urban sustainability, waste management and environmental policy) </aside>

The estimated mass of biofertiliser formed is as follows (To use it as compost):

Around 40-50% of the organic waste is converted into the biofertiliser and the calculation is as follows:

In case of 40%: 260,425 x 40% = 104,170 Kg/day = 38,022 tons/year

In case of 50%: 260,425 x 50% = 130,212.5 Kg/day = 47,527 tons/year

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