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Liquid Gold: Harnessing the Potential of Digestate to Enhance Smallholder Farmer Food Security and Livelihood

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Food Security for African Smallholder Farmers

Part of the book series: Sustainability Sciences in Asia and Africa ((SAFS))

Abstract

Smallholder (SH) farming systems drive many economies in Africa and are one of the main sources of food and income to the poorest in both urban and rural areas. Improvements of the farming system is imperative to ensure food security and poverty reduction. A holistic SH farming approach that promotes resource recycling will ensure sustainability and productivity of SH farms. Anaerobic digestion (AD) is important to a holistic SH farming system. Anaerobic digestion aids in waste management and results in the generation of biogas as well as a nutrient-rich digestate. The value of the generated biogas has been widely publicised; however, the importance of the produced digestate is less known. This chapter aims at revealing the myriad of applications of digestate that are relevant to SH farming systems. These applications include its use as an organic fertilizer, in seed priming, as irrigation water, as a biopesticide, in aquaculture and livestock management as well as in several bioprocesses. Simple digestate post-treatment methods will also be highlighted. Overall, this chapter is aimed at improving understanding of the potential of digestate to promote its utilisation, together with the generated biogas, in a holistic farming approach thereby maximising benefits associated with AD.

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Acknowledgement

This work was supported by the National Research Foundation of South Africa (NRF; Grant number 121924 and 128307). Opinions expressed and conclusions reached are those of the authors and not necessarily endorsed by the NRF.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Microbiology and Environmental Biotechnology Research Group, Agricultural Research Council - Natural Resources and Engineering, Pretoria, South Africa

    Ashira Roopnarain, Busiswa Ndaba, Haripriya Rama, Linda Obi, Maryam Bello-Akinosho & Muyiwa Akindolire

  2. School of Physics, College of Science, Engineering and Technology, University of South Africa, Johannesburg, South Africa

    Haripriya Rama

  3. Department of Environmental Sciences, University of South Africa, Johannesburg, South Africa

    Linda Obi

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  1. Ashira Roopnarain
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  2. Busiswa Ndaba
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  6. Muyiwa Akindolire
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Correspondence to Ashira Roopnarain .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. SANUMARC, University of Namibia, Henties Bay, Namibia

    Hupenyu Allan Mupambwa

  2. Agricultural Research Council—Natural Resources & Engineering, Pretoria, South Africa

    Adornis Dakarai Nciizah

  3. Risk and Vulnerability Science Centre (RAVAC), University of Fort Hare, Alice Campus, South Africa

    Patrick Nyambo

  4. Graduate School of Business Leadership, University of South Africa, Midrandx, South Africa

    Binganidzo Muchara

  5. Department of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences, University of Namibia, Hentiesbaai, Namibia

    Ndakalimwe Naftal Gabriel

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Roopnarain, A., Ndaba, B., Rama, H., Obi, L., Bello-Akinosho, M., Akindolire, M. (2022). Liquid Gold: Harnessing the Potential of Digestate to Enhance Smallholder Farmer Food Security and Livelihood. In: Mupambwa, H.A., Nciizah, A.D., Nyambo, P., Muchara, B., Gabriel, N.N. (eds) Food Security for African Smallholder Farmers. Sustainability Sciences in Asia and Africa(). Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-16-6771-8_19

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