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The first CBEN meeting of 2025 kicked off in high spirits, bringing together 18 members of the network to discuss innovative ideas and ongoing projects. The session featured a captivating presentation by Rebecca Nelson centered around nutrient recovery practices with source-separated urine in Kisumu, Kenya in collaboration with Charles Midega at Poverty Health and Integrated Solutions (PHIS).
A key highlight of the discussion was an upcoming project proposal for modeling nutrient flows at the neighborhood level, aiming to explore logistics for transporting urine for nutrient-enhanced biochar production. This initiative engages Fresh Life’s module of fecal and urine separation toilets which recycles feces into a CBE value chain but not yet urine. Rebecca expressed optimism about the project’s potential to enhance the circular bio-nutrient economy and cross-network projects, emphasizing plans for further collaboration with Fresh Life Initiative and Kisumu Young Agri-Entrepreneurs (KIYA) to implement recommendations from her business module presentation.
Rebecca and Charles' strategy addresses nutrient overload in Lake Victoria by redirecting excess nutrients from sewage to agricultural lands. She proposed using urine as a direct fertilizer as well as the liquid used to quench hot biochar and nitrify compost to return NPK and other micronutrients to the soil. Small-scale applications in Kenya and Vermont have already demonstrated promising results, with urine performing equally to conventional fertilizers in crop growth, noting ongoing collaborations with Haroon and Patrick Shindu within the western Kenya Farmer Research Network.
Exploring the Use of Urine in Biochar Production
The discussion later turned to a proposed franchise operation in Kisumu, with Freshlife and KIYA, aimed at optimizing urine management through biochar processing. Florence Mwikali, Head of Fresh Life Initiative Operations in Kisumu, addressed the feasibility of this model on behalf of Fresh Life and the Kisumu team planned to meet to discuss further this week.
Rebecca emphasized the need for agriculture-focused funding strategies, acknowledging that while public and lake health are vital, they do not directly generate revenue– fertilizer does. The discussions concluded with a call to shift perceptions of waste—especially urine—recognizing its value as a resource rather than something to discard.
To conclude, Bella gave a few quick updates about IBI Academy x CBEN conference planning (June 2-6, 2025) noting that IBI Academy has more interest than available spots and an application will be going live in the coming weeks. Closing the meeting, Ojok Okello, the founder of Okere City in Uganda, expressed his excitement about the discourse, highlighting how the insights could be applied to transform Shea Butter residues into biochar and urine recovery from Okere City schools. He shared his enthusiasm for the newfound knowledge and its potential to promote sustainable food and sanitation systems in Okere City and the broader Ugandan community. Ojok’s passion for these innovative approaches was evident, and he expressed eagerness to begin implementing the concepts and techniques he had already acquired.
"Bringing together experts, first-timers, and scientists in the biochar field embodies the true spirit of collaboration—where diverse perspectives converge to unlock innovative solutions for a sustainable future. This experience emboldens my work as a grassroots crusader, with no scientific background in biochar research but a deep passion and commitment to invest in biochar production for transformative impact." He concluded
The January 2025 meeting showcased CBEN's dedication to pioneering sustainable solutions from urine recovery to black soldier fly, biochar, and beyond, setting a strong tone for the year ahead.
By Erick O. Abala
Head of Communications- CBEN
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