From organic waste to soil health : WasteAid steps up to lead EU-funded project in The Gambia

Across much of sub-Saharan Africa, soil degradation and the high cost of imported fertilisers sit at the intersection of two crises: agricultural underperformance and mounting waste mismanagement. In The Gambia, a new initiative is attempting to address both at once — by turning organic waste into a domestic fertiliser supply and, in doing so, building a circular economy model with national ambitions.

The S-ORGANIC project — Scaling-Up Organic Fertilisers in The Gambia: Advancing Nutrition, Innovation and the Circular Economy — centres on scaling the production of high-quality organic fertiliser by recycling organic waste that would otherwise go unused. The three-year initiative targets improvements in soil health and crop yields while reducing the country's dependence on expensive imported chemical fertilisers, with direct implications for food security and nutrition.

WasteAid brings to the role an established track record in the country, having begun organics work in The Gambia in 2021 in partnership with Kanifing Municipal Council. The charity continues its collaboration with two longstanding consortium partners: the Trust Agency for Rural Development (TARUD) and Women Initiative Gambia (WIG).

Rather than a top-down intervention, the project focuses on embedding capability at community and enterprise level. WasteAid and its partners are engaging small and medium enterprises, women's groups, and market federations to build the local knowledge and infrastructure needed to sustain organic fertiliser production beyond the project's lifetime. The approach combines action research with practical manufacturing training — aiming to create a replicable model that can be rolled out nationally.

"WasteAid is proud to step into the lead of the S-ORGANIC project, building on two years of deep-rooted partnership to transform organic waste management and soil health in The Gambia. By integrating action research with innovative production training, we are providing the tools necessary to foster a self-sufficient, circular agricultural ecosystem. We aren't just finishing a project; we are securing a legacy of environmental resilience and economic empowerment for the entire country," says Lamin Sanyang, Country Programme Manager, The Gambia.

For the waste management sector, the S-ORGANIC project represents a compelling example of organic waste being redirected into productive use at scale. By treating agricultural and food waste as a feedstock rather than a disposal problem, the initiative makes the case for circular economy principles as a practical tool for development in low-income contexts.

WasteAid operates across Uganda, South Sudan, India, South Africa and The Gambia, working with women, young people, refugees, informal waste workers and vulnerable communities to establish circular economy businesses and sustainable local waste solutions.