Our Approach
DeCo! is a social business (registered as a Ghanaian NGO) producing organic fertilizer for small-holder farmers. DeCo! operates decentralized composting plants in the Northern region of Ghana. From diverse inputs such as fruit waste, vegetable waste, neem tree leaves, waste from processing shea butter, corn cobs, and groundnuts, as well as poultry manure, DeCo! produces high quality organic fertilizer and generates revenue from sales of the product.
Farmers in the Savanna region of Ghana face the problem of severe soil degradation which leads to a reduction of agricultural productivity. A lack of organic matter (in average below 1%) results in low water holding capacity, high vulnerability to soil erosion, and poor nutrient retention. Applying DeCo! fertilizer increases the content of soil organic matter. As a result, DeCo! organic fertilizer has the potential to double farmer’s crop yields, which makes farming more profitable and improves overall food security. Beyond adding value for the customers, DeCo! operations have many implications on the social development of the region and the protection of the environment. These benefits include reduced greenhouse gas emissions, local job creation, and improved local waste management.
DeCo! follows a low-tech approach in order to minimize technical barriers and risks and employ as many local people as possible. Local people with degrees of higher education, for example graduates from the University of Development Studies in the Northern Region, manage the production plants.
See also our booklet
