OIT - From Organic Waste to Agrifood Value - Appropriate Technologies for Circular Economy and Job Creation - Brief on Organic Waste to Agrifood Val

From Organic Waste to Agrifood Value Africa faces a dual challenge: persistent unemployment, underemployment, and informality—especially among youth and women—alongside worsening environmental degradation, largely due to inefficient organic waste management. This research explores how the choice of appropriate technologies for managing organic waste can address both challenges by promoting decent employment and environmental sustainability, especially within agrifood systems in rural and urban areas. Using a combination of desk research and key informant interviews, this study identifies a continuum of organic waste-to-agrifood technologies, from low-tech solutions that improve soil health and reduce farm input costs, to commercial ventures generating income and employment opportunities. Technologies such as composting, biochar production, and black soldier fly farming convert organic waste into valuable products like fertilizers, animal feed, and bioenergy. These innovations offer direct benefits to smallholder farmers and communities while creating upstream and downstream employment in value chains—from waste collection and processing to logistics and biotechnology. To scale these solutions and ensure they support a just transition in Africa’s agrifood systems, key enablers include: Investment in infrastructure and technology Skills development and capacity building Access to finance Social dialogue and inclusive policymaking Africa’s demographic trends pose an urgent challenge: In 2023, 145 million people in Sub-Saharan Africa lived in extreme working poverty (ILO, 2024b). By 2030, the youth population will reach 200 million, and by 2050, Africa’s total population will increase by 950 million (UNECA, 2024). This growth intensifies pressure on food systems and job markets, especially in rural areas where informal work is the norm. Employment disparities are stark: Youth NEET (Not in Employment, Education, or Training): Nearly 1 in 4 in Sub-Saharan Africa (ILO, 2024a) Gender gap: In North Africa, women's formal employment lags behind men’s by 49 percentage points (ILO, 2024b)

Conflict-affected youth: 8.9 million lived near conflict zones in 2022

The agrifood sector, employing over a billion globally, is central to African economies, yet productivity remains low due to: Outdated farming practices Limited access to finance and modern technologies Inadequate storage and transport infrastructure Post-harvest losses reach 40% for perishables, and undernourishment affects over 257 million people (FAO & ECA, 2018). The importance of technology choice on employment in Africa Employment, agrifood systems and organic waste inefficiencies in Africa Africa's waste generation is projected to triple by 2050 (World Bank, 2018), driven by rapid urbanization. Yet waste collection rates remain low—just 44% on average in Sub-Saharan Africa, with rural areas most underserved.

Organic waste accounts for: 50–80% of municipal waste in lowand middle-income countries 35% of urban emissions (ESCAP, 2017; C40 Cities & Accra Metropolitan Assembly, 2024) Current waste management practices—primarily landfilling and incineration—are inefficient, environmentally damaging, and create few jobs: Incineration: only 1.8 jobs per 10,000 tons/year (Ribeiro-Broomhead et al., 2021) High energy costs, poor suitability for moist organic waste Requires specialized skills, often unavailable locally Not aligned with green job creation or clean energy goalsContact us for the full report and more information: EMPINVEST@ilo.org DOI: https://doi.org/10.54394/IOAV6519

Subscribe to our newsletter Follow us on LinkedIn From Organic Waste to Agrifood Value A growing number of organic waste management technologies demonstrate real potential to contribute to green jobs, sustainable agriculture, and a circular economy in Africa.

Composting: Converts waste to nutrient-rich fertilizers; supports soil health and small-scale farming.

Biochar: Improves soil quality, sequesters carbon, and reduces fertilizer use.

Black Soldier Fly (BSF) farming: Transforms organic waste into high-protein animal feed and compost by product. These technologies offer employment at multiple scales: Smallholder level: Reduces input costs, improves yields Commercial scale: Generates jobs across value chains—from waste collection and segregation to processing, logistics, and biotech applications Value chain employment impact: Upstream: Waste collection, sorting, and transport Midstream: Processing facilities (e.g., composting plants, BSF farms) Downstream: Sales, distribution, and use of bio-products Compared to incineration or landfilling, reuse strategies offer higher employment multipliers and align with just transition goals. To unlock the full employment and sustainability potential of organic waste management technologies, the following actions are essential: Skills and competency development Address the skills mismatch: Over 60% of youth in agrifood systems are misaligned with job requirements (OECD, 2021) Reform informal apprenticeships and training systems to ensure recognition and quality Investment in infrastructure and technology Build local capacity for smalland medium-scale organic waste processing facilities Promote appropriate technology solutions tailored to African contexts Financial inclusion Improve access to finance for youth, women, and informal entrepreneurs Support start-ups in the green and circular economy sectors Social dialogue and policy support Engage stakeholders—including local communities, private sector, and governments—in policy development Promote integrated approaches linking employment, waste, agriculture, and climate goals Enablers for scaling impact Conclusion Africa’s intersecting challenges of youth unemployment, underemployment, and environmental degradation demand innovative, inclusive solutions. Appropriate organic waste technologies present a transformative opportunity—creating green jobs, improving agrifood systems, and contributing to a just transition. With coordinated investment in skills, infrastructure, finance, and inclusive policymaking, organic waste can become a valuable resource for both employment creation and environmental resilience in Africa’s sustainable development journey. Key technologies