Assessment of Challenges and Opportunities of Composting Organic SolidWastes: The Case of Robe Town, Oromia Regional State, Ethiopia

Urban Farm DB summary

A study assessed the challenges and opportunities of composting organic solid waste in Robe Town, Oromia Regional State, Ethiopia, using a descriptive survey design with a sample of 384 households drawn proportionally from three kebeles using a combination of probability and non-probability sampling. Data were collected through questionnaires, interviews, field observation, and photography and analyzed with SPSS and Microsoft Excel. The study found that no proper composting of organic solid waste is currently taking place in the town. Barriers identified included lack of awareness, insufficient space for composting, lack of government support, absence of a policy framework, institutional gaps such as no dedicated urban agriculture department, and budget constraints. Opportunities noted included the large volume of available organic waste, farmers already engaged in urban agriculture, a suitable composting environment, high demand for organic fertilizer, and rising prices of chemical fertilizer.