Looping manure back into production: a promising route to more resilient agriculture in Côte d'Ivoire and Senegal

In Senegal, poultry feces are often illegally discarded along the side of the road. Farmers are often unaware of the ‘gold’ they possess or – when they are aware – face technical or logistical challenges to make better use of manure. In Côte d’Ivoire, another problem comes to the surface: poultry feces are often used as fertilizer in cocoa plantations, leading to acidification of soils after a few years. Poultry farmers also feel pressure from the country’s environmental agency Centre Ivoirien Antipollution (CIAPOL), which is becoming more stringent on applying environmental regulations that aim to prevent pollution from manure. Addressing this issue requires policy changes and substantial private investments.

Starting with agroecology in Senegal

The Senegalese are taking a promising route to make better use of manure. With the promotion of agroecology, several initiatives have been implemented by NGOs, donors and farmer organizations to support farmers in adopting compost production techniques and using it in their agricultural production. Platforms like DyTAES and ENDA bring together agroecology players and aim to enhance the sustainability of farming practices, improve soil quality, and reduce dependence on chemical fertilizers. Several programs and projects – included in a report for the Niayes region by the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO) in 2024 – are currently underway to train farmers and raise awareness about the benefits of agroecology, particularly through organic waste management and local compost production. You can request the report 'Mapping agroecology in the Niayes region' here (website is in Dutch).

In 2019, the Senegalese government introduced the Plan Sénégal émergent vert: a subsidy scheme for producers to buy organic and bio fertilizers, including compost and manure. This initiative aims to make these products more accessible to farmers, thus encouraging a shift towards more environmentally friendly and sustainable agricultural practices. In December 2024, the new minister of agriculture Mr. Mabouba Diagne asked Biotech Services Senegal to increase its production of compost.

Taking a systems approach to poultry

To better understand the (business) opportunities of using organic streams (including manure) in the poultry sectors of Côte d’Ivoire and Senegal, and keeping it in line with the region’s general wish to become more self-sufficient and resilient, a unique study was commissioned in 2023 by the Dutch Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Food Security and Nature (LVVN) and Netherlands Food Partnership (NFP). Circle Economy Foundation and two local experts, Dr. Makhtar Diouf (Senegal) and Mr. Pevanny Yeo (Côte d’Ivoire), developed the first system’s overview of the poultry sector in each country. From the organic fluxes, that show each step in the value chain from feed to waste, it immediately becomes clear that a massive amount of valuable organic material goes to waste.

The figure above below shows the Material Flows Analysis (MFA) within the poultry system for the year 2022 in Côte d’Ivoire (valorisation circulaire de la filière avicole en Côte d’Ivoire). The results were presented during the Africa Poultry Expo 2024 in Rwanda.

Turning manure into business

Based on the system’s analyses, several innovative business opportunities can be identified in the region that have the potential to turn what is now considered waste into a valuable resource. In fact, some of these opportunities are already being explored or applied by local businesses. These solutions include the production of:

• Compost and Biogas: in Côte d’Ivoire, LONO is a rapidly growing Dutch-Ivorian company that turns organic waste, including feces, into fertilizers and energy carriers. Magic Compost and Biomass d'Ivoire, two start-ups supported by the Orange Corners program, have also entered the compost market recently. In Senegal, Biotech Services Senegal – who has been asked by the government to drastically increase their compost production – has recently integrated poultry feces in their composting process.
• Biochar: in Côte d’Ivoire, companies like SPAAK and Beyond Beans are exploring the potential of converting cocoa husks into biochar. Biochar is a charcoal-like substance that is used to improve soil; this biochar could subsequently be enriched with poultry feces.
• Black Soldier Flies (BSF): Start-ups like Neofarm in Senegal and Bioani in Côte d'Ivoire use organic waste streams to breed BSF and are exploring the possibility of adding manure as additional feed to produce protein-rich larvae that can be used in poultry and fish farming.

Promoting organic inputs through a 'Biokit'

As part of the horticulture programs HortiCôte (Senegal) and HortiNord (Côte d'Ivoire), an initiative called ‘Biokit’ has been launched by the Dutch Embassies in both countries to bundle the efforts of and increase market opportunities for (Dutch) companies and organizations providing organic inputs (biofertilizers, biocontrol agents and bio stimulants) in West Africa. As part of the ‘Biokit’, the Dutch Embassy in Côte d’Ivoire collaborates with Soil Values Program (managed by IFDC) and the Ministry of Agriculture to develop new policies in favor of organic fertilizers, in line with the Nairobi Declaration on fertilizers and soil health.

Other opportunities: can Dutch manure play a role?

There is also potential for exporting manure from the Netherlands to Senegal and Côte d'Ivoire. With a 78% growth in 2023 of fertilizer imports in Côte d’Ivoire, for instance, there seems to be a market for Dutch companies that have manure-derived products. In Senegal, governmental and private partners are preparing the construction of a modern fertilizer factory in the town of Ndayane that will produce 1.2 million tons of fertilizer a year, including organic fertilizer.

Dutch entrepreneurs, companies, and green knowledge institutions, as well as international stakeholders in agriculture, food, and nature, are invited to participate in these initiatives. Together, we can turn waste into wealth and create a more sustainable future.

More information

Would you like to receive the Circular Poultry report or know more about the possibilities to export manure-derived products to Côte d'Ivoire and Senegal? Please visit the country pages of Côte d'Ivoire and Senegal at the website Agroberichtenbuitenland.nl. You can also send an email to the Netherlands Agricultural Network (LAN) team at the Dutch Embassy in Abidjan (Côte d'Ivoire): abi-lvvn@minbuza.nl. Or to the LAN team at the Dutch Embassy in Dakar (Senegal): dak-lvvn@minbuza.nl.