The Directorate of Urban Agriculture, in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), has commenced a three-day capacity-building training session for women and youth on converting vegetable waste into organic manure (compost).
The overall goal of the training is to equip 150 women and youth with the knowledge and practical skills needed to convert vegetable waste into quality organic manure (compost). This initiative aims to support sustainable micro-gardening, improve soil fertility, promote environmental conservation, and generate income.
The capacity-building training on compost production from vegetable waste is organized under the FAO Technical Cooperation Programme (TCP/GAM/4003) and falls under Activities 1.3 and 1.4 of the TCP.
The training will be complemented by the provision of micro-garden tables, farming supplies, seeds, and farm tools. It will later be followed by training on processing and value-addition to curtail food waste.
In her introductory statement, Papia Badgie, the Director General of Urban Agriculture, explained that while The Gambia has 553,116 hectares of land suitable for agriculture, “yet only 47.2 percent of households engage in agriculture, and urbanization is rapidly reducing available farmland—especially in Banjul and Kanifing, where participation is as low as 8.7 percent and 14.6 percent, respectively.”
She indicated that, coupled with climate change and high food and nutrition insecurity (52 percent rural and 21 percent urban), innovative ways must be found to produce food in small urban spaces. “That is what this TCP seeks to address,” she noted.
She outlined that the TCP has two major outputs:
Output 1: Focuses on building the capacity of 1,500 women in micro-gardening technology, from production to marketing, as well as constructing micro-garden tables for 150 vulnerable, female-headed households.
Output 2: Focuses on agri-food infrastructure. She added, “Micro-gardening enables households to grow fresh, nutritious vegetables on rooftops, paved areas, containers, and garden tables. But to make it sustainable, we need a healthy, affordable growing medium.”
She continued, “That is the purpose of this training—to turn what is considered waste into wealth. Vegetable waste, green materials, brown materials, and animal waste that pollute our markets can be segregated and converted into compost—what we call ‘black gold’—to enrich our soils and reduce dependence on expensive chemical fertilizers.”
She stated, “Our expectation is simple: move from training to practice, and from practice to production. We want each of the 150 women and youth here to become trainers and ambassadors in your communities.”
Dr. Ass Secka, an FAO representative, said that the training is funded through an FAO project titled Building Resilience of Agri-food Systems in Urban and Rural Gambia, totaling US$294,000.00. The two-year project commenced in April 2025 and will run until April 2027.
He noted that space for farming in urban areas is limited, making it crucial to create initiatives that ensure the effective utilization of available land, with urban agriculture being a key solution. He described urban agriculture as gardening using backyards, rooftops, waste cans, bags, and containers.
Mr. Musa Humma, Director General at the Department of Agriculture, said that urban agriculture is an initiative designed to increase the knowledge of producers and farmers. This will help create jobs, generate income, and provide food for the community.
He urged participants to actively engage in the training, ask questions, and seek clarity on any unclear topics so they can gain knowledge and maximize their production.
