Tropentag, September 10 - 12, 2025, Bonn "Reconciling land system changes with planetary health"

Recent advances in agricultural wastes valorisation: A review of impacts on agricultural productivity and environmental sustainability

¹Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, Agricultural and Bioresources Engineering, Nigeria
²University of Rostock, Waste and Resource Management, Germany

Abstract

The continuous rise in agricultural waste generation poses a significant challenge to the environment. This is more typical in developing countries where agricultural waste generation has intensified without a proper management or valorisation strategy. Thus, the wastes are often landfilled or burned, contributing to the emissions of greenhouse gases. Valorizing these wastes into valuable products like biofertiliser, biochar, or bioenergy, among others, offers a viable and significant benefit for agricultural productivity and environmental sustainability. The technology is not only a waste management strategy but also a measure of achieving net carbon neutrality and mitigating the impacts of climate change. This paper explores innovative approaches in agricultural waste valorisation with emphasis on their role in enhancing agricultural productivity and promoting environmental sustainability. Literature spanning the last decade and beyond was reviewed to understand the recent advances and harness the key impacts of effective and sustainable agricultural waste valorisation, while prioritising carbon emission reduction, soil fertility improvement, and waste reduction. The paper also reports the socioeconomic and policy aspects needed to boost the advances in agricultural waste management, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa. This was followed by reporting the drawbacks in the technology to serve as a potential guide, as well as additional recommendations on how the mammoth agricultural wastes generated could be effectively managed to boost the biorefining process and improve environmental sustainability. In conclusion, the review finds that effective and sustainable valorisation of agricultural wastes can serve as a strategic means of climate-smart agriculture, providing support for food security and environmental conservation.

Keywords: Agricultural productivity, agricultural waste, environmental sustainability , valorisation

Contact Address: Suleiman Usman Yunusa , Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, Agricultural and Bioresources Engineering, Samaru, 810107 Zaria, Nigeria, e-mail: suleimanyunusa001gmail.com