JVL Partners with IWMI on Fortifer Waste-to-Fertilizer Project

The CGIAR Research Program on Water, Land and Ecosystems (WLE) and the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) launched the Resource Recovery and Reuse (RRR) program to test innovative waste management business models in West Africa.

Closing the Nutrient Cycle

To close the nutrient cycle, which is an important regulatory ecosystem service (ESS), the project aims to enhance the safe use of excreta in agriculture while generating revenues for the sanitation value chain.

The WaFo Project in Tema

To achieve this goal, the project kicked off several production plants in Ghana. One plant under the WaFo project, capable of producing up to 1,000 tons per year of fecal-based fertilizer material called Fortifer, was constructed in Tema.

The WaFo project established appropriate partnerships and a detailed business plan for production through a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) with the Municipality of Tema and Jekora Ventures Limited, a leading local sanitation enterprise.

Product Certification and Marketing

The project ensured the necessary product certification from the Ghanaian government and developed a marketing plan for Fortifer, along with a replication plan for two other Ghanaian cities.

Demonstrating Sustainability

This project demonstrated that Fortifer technology improves the sustainability of the sanitation value chain by generating a revenue stream. From a program perspective, the actual implementation of a closed-loop process allowed significant learning elements which helped similar projects and the formulation of investment plans.

CapVal Project Expansion

Under the CapVal project, three additional plants were constructed for fecal sludge (FS), municipal solid waste (MSW) and wastewater reuse. These facilities produced 200 tons per year of compost, 1,000 tons per year of fuel briquettes, and enabled wastewater use in aquaculture across three other Ghanaian cities.

Program Impact

The RRR program, which supported innovative waste management research and business models since 2011, achieved significant outcomes including contributions to government policy and development of local sanitation facilities in South Asia and Africa. Notably, the Ghanaian Government included waste compost in its fertilizer subsidy program as a result of this work.

Sources: IWMI/WLE RRR Project Archive, WLE Program Evaluation