| Project Status | Full Research (FR) |
| Duration | Apr. 2024 - Mar. 2029 |
| Research Program | Research Program Global Environmental Culture |
| Project No. | 14210162 |
| Project Title | Building up organic material circulation system among urban and rural area: Toward the integration of local perception and scientific knowledge |
| Abbreviated Title | Organic Material Circulation Project |
| Project Leader | OYAMA Shuichi |
| URL | https://organic-rihn.chikyu.ac.jp/ |
| Keywords | material cycle, solid waste system, livelihood system, agricultural use, greening, water and sanitation, land restoration |
Research purpose and content
1. Executive summary
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Please describe the following concretely and clearly. |
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1) Objectives and background |
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The objective of this research project is to establish organic material circulation system between urban and rural areas by returning accumulated organic waste and its nutrients from cities to rural areas. We aim to restore livelihoods centered on agriculture and animal husbandry and rehabilitating degraded land. In ecology, organic material, biomass, refers to the total weight of living organisms, such as plants and animals. Organic resources include agricultural products that serve as raw materials for food, cloth, and industrial goods; timber used for construction and fuel; and energy crops like bioethanol and biodiesel. These organic resources are used for food, cloth, fuel, and building materials, and are subsequently discharged as food waste, human waste and sewage sludge, and wood waste.
Countries worldwide are required to transition to decarbonization and a carbon-neutral society, aiming for net-zero emissions of greenhouse gases including CO2. However, addressing this challenge is not straightforward, as issues such as food security, poverty alleviation, resource exploration, and economic growth are complexly linked across nations and regions. This research project focuses on the current economic and social systems of Japan and Sub-Saharan African nations, contribute to moving toward a carbon-neutral society necessitates moving away from combustion. It promotes shifting from incineration disposal of waste to decomposition-based treatment processes, thereby contributing to the restoration of degraded lands and people’s livelihoods, and organic resource use to maintain agricultural productivity.
The project clarifies the actual organic waste use practices in each region (Japan, five African countries: Niger and Zambia, Ghana, Uganda, Djibouti. We will incorporate scientific examination from the perspectives of environmental sustainability, economic sustainability, and health/sanitary sustainability. We aim to create new values for the usefulness of organic waste and build sustainable societies, and it seeks to establish organic material circulation systems.
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2) How does the research contribute to the solution of the global environmental problems? |
The thickness of soil on Earth varies by climate zone and land use, but soil resources are limited. While the global population is projected to exceed 10 billion by 2050, human must produce food and survive on the limited soil. Concerns exist that food production may not keep pace with demand due to overuse of land by agriculture and animal husbandly, as well as soil erosion (FAO 2019). The human food must be clean, and discarded organic waste and human waste are despised for their dirtiness. Sadly, humanity has failed to properly position itself within the Earth system, constrained by the dogma of hygiene concepts built upon science. For future civilization, centered on cities, to achieve sustainability, a shift in thinking and values is necessary. This shift must involve accepting human's nature of generating dirtiness from purity, understanding the importance of material cycles and the rebirth of life that transforms dirtiness into purity, and repositioning humanity—currently separated from the Earth system—within it (Oyama 2015).
In the UK and the US, sewage sludge treated in wastewater treatment plants is not called sewage sludge but is named “biosolids”, and its use in agriculture is being promoted. However, its use is suspended due to the presence of harmful heavy metals. In Japan and sub-Saharan Africa, we seek to build organic material circulation between cities and rural areas, contributing to the transformation of modern urban society and its sustainability, through the valorization of organic waste and a transformation of our consciousness,
This research project primarily focuses on Japan and sub-Saharan Africa (Niger and Zambia, Ghana, Uganda, Djibouti). When examining the current state of organic material circulation and constructing circulation systems, it is necessary to integrate considerations across four levels: (1) the household, unit of consumption or rural farmland, unit of production, (2) the regional unit encompassing cities, (3) the national unit of import/export, and (4) the global level. This approach aims to build sustainable societies with the political and economic systems of each region and era.
The research items are: [1] Analyzing the current state of material flows of organic resources across farmland, villages, regions, and the world; [2] Examining organic waste decomposition mechanisms and safety of reusing the organic waste; [3] Creating new networks and values for building organic material circulation. Rather than organizing independent research teams in Japan and five sub-Saharan African countries, we will analyze the organic material circulation connecting both rural and urban areas to examine production, consumption, and waste from both rural and urban contexts. The required form of organic material circulation differs across regions depending on the economic and social conditions as well as people’s recognition. We will visibly construct organic material circulation systems that become good practices from both regional and global perspectives.
【1】Current Analysis of Material Flows in Organic Resource Management
1-1 Waste Management in Cities and Material Flows in Agricultural Ecosystems: We study the waste generation, disposal, and sanitation conditions in Japanese and sub-Saharan African cities. Classify waste into human waste/sewage and other organic waste, then examine household waste types, weights, and collection/disposal methods. Additionally, we will examine agricultural practices and fertilization in cultivated ecosystems across eight regions in Japan and sub-Saharan Africa, as well as the flow of agricultural products between urban and rural areas. We will identify perceptions and values regarding organic waste and explore breakthroughs to advance the organic circulation.
1-2 Waste Treatment and Organic Resource Collection in Cities: In Japan, we focus on disposal and sewage treatment issues in central urban areas like Tokyo, Osaka, and Kyoto, examining methods for processing food waste and sewage sludge. We clarify challenges in decomposition-centered treatment processes and agricultural utilization. In sub-Saharan Africa, waste sorting is not widely practiced, and open dumping—landfilling waste in open piles—is the mainstream method. We will examine challenges and strategies for agricultural use of organic waste such as household waste and sewage sludge, and for restoring livelihoods. We will also reference examples from the US and Europe where composting is being mandated.
1-3 Material Flows in Agricultural Imports and Exports (Virtual Nutrition Calculation): Using agricultural import/ export data compiled by the FAO (FAOSTAT), we create Virtual Nutrition Maps (VNP) for 196 countries worldwide or for Japan's prefectures. The VNP is a concept developed independently by this project, drawing on the Virtual Water (VW) .
【2】Analyzing Organic Waste Decomposition Mechanisms and Safety of Reusing the Organic Waste
2-1 Analysis of Greening and Crop Productivity through Organic Waste Application: We conduct on-site experiments applying organic material such as household waste, woody waste, and sewage sludge to rice paddies and upland fields in Japan, as well as upland fields in sub-Sharan Africa. These experiments will examine effectiveness in soil properties, improvements in crop yields and environmental restoration in degraded lands.
2-2 Evaluation of Organic Waste Decomposition Mechanisms: In the on-site experiments described in 2-1, we will evaluate the application of organic waste to cultivated soils, its decomposition processes, and the mineralization processes converting it into forms absorbable by plants. We focus on soil physical, biological, and chemical property changes due to the organic material, in conjunction with meteorological conditions. Additionally, CO2 fluxes at the soil surface will be measured to clarify the effects of CO2 emissions/absorption associated with organic material application and greening, and soil carbon storage will be quantified to evaluate the greenhouse gas mitigation effects.
2-3 Securing the Safety for Agricultural Use of Organic Waste: Organic waste generated in cities—particularly sewage sludge—poses a risk of containing harmful heavy metals such as lead, cadmium, and chromium, and concerns about these risks remain deeply rooted in local communities. We will develop a simplified inspection system using EDX (X-ray fluorescence analyzer) and technologies for removing and diluting harmful substances. This aims to eliminate health risks for the agricultural use of organic waste and improve public acceptance.
【3】 Creating New Values for Establishing Organic Material Circulation Systems
We conducted on-site experiments in restoring degraded land and improving the livelihood of agriculture and animal husbandly through material transfers from cities to rural areas and organic resource use. We will create manuals for improving agricultural production and restoring degraded land, tailored to local conditions. To shift perceptions of organic waste from “dirty, dangerous, harmful” to “valuable with handling care”, we propose building the social conditions, transforming resident awareness, and shaping society necessary for establishing a decomposition-based organic material circulation system. This will be based on research outcomes and resident consensus building.
3-1Developing RIHN Waterless Dry Compost (Dry Compost Technology): We aim to establish and distribute RIHN Compost (waterless dry compost) technology that processes locally available materials such as kitchen waste and simple methods, returning nutrients to the soil. With cooperation from The Westin Miyako Hotel Kyoto, we continue processing and monitoring organic waste dispose.
3-2 Composting Animal Manure from Kyoto City Zoo and Environmental Education: This RIHN Compost (waterless dry compost) can efficiently decompose organic waste by utilizing animal manure, including chicken manure. We are observing the decomposition process of animal dung from Kyoto City Zoo, such as Asian elephants, zebras, giraffes, tigers, chimpanzees, gorillas and so on. Future plans include developing mini-composting systems using animal dung and creating environmental education methodologies.
3-3 Collaborative Project with the Kyoto Prefectural Board of Education: Based on a collaborative agreement between the RIHIN and the Kyoto Prefectural Board of Education, we provide “Integrated Project based Learning” classes at elementary schools within Kyoto Prefecture and develop composting booklet manuals. We deliver Integrated Project based Learning (inquiry-based class) at elementary schools and special needs schools in Kyoto Prefecture.
3-4 Niger Activities: We continue greening activities using urban organic waste in the Department of Dogondoutchi, Dosso Region and in the capital city of Niamey. We started the activities in Dogondoucthi in 2003, while starting the initiative in Niamey City in 2020 and continues to the present. We are continuing to observe changes in soil properties associated with organic waste application, monitor plant growth, and conduct interviews with local residents.
3-5 Zambia Activities: We started pig farming and compost production using organic residues and pig dung in the Capital Lusaka: In Zambia farmers faces severe soil degradation due to modern farming methods using chemical fertilizers. We can use maize husks for activating the compost. Additionally, pigs are raised using urban waste such as vegetable scraps and maize husks as feed. Their dung is processed through RIHN compost (waterless dry compost) to produce rich nutrition compost for soil improvement and maize production.
3-6 Djibouti Activities: The capital city of Djibouti is located in an extremely arid region of this desert nation, receiving only 120 mm of annual rainfall. Treated water and sludge from the sewage treatment plant are used to cultivate date palms, pomegranates, Sudan grass, okra, melons, tomatoes, and other crops. Analysis of the treated sewage water and sludge clarifies their properties, while developing dryland farming techniques utilizing the treated sewage water.
3-7 Ghana Activities: In the Eastern and Northern Regions, we raise pigs using urban food waste and produce compost from pig dung to cultivate cocoa, oil palm, plantain banana, and maize. We aim to reduce chemical fertilizer and pesticide use in cocoa production, and the project will collaborate with the adjacent Meiji Holding cocoa farm.
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4) Expected results |
The expected outcomes are: (1) to visualize how expanding cities and the import/export of food impose significant environmental burdens on local ecosystems; (2) to demonstrate that utilizing urban organic waste can support forest restoration, greening degraded land as countermeasure, and improving local agricultural production, thereby advancing the creation of guidelines/manuals and promoting a shift in values; (3) Building upon the premise of utilizing organic waste for agriculture and green space restoration, it aims to promote reevaluation of our lifestyles and the development of urban infrastructure (waste collection/processing, sewage treatment), fostering a new society to responding to environmental crises.
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5) Project organization and membership |
At the start of FR2, there were 22 research participants. With the addition of three co-researchers (Araki [Plant Nutrition], Kondo [Area Studies], Murao [Anthropology]), the total reached 25. We will create societies for environmental restoration and natural regeneration in response to environmental issues such as desertification, tropical forest destruction, and the emergence of degraded land due to agriculture. We establish collaborative relationships not only with the research community but also with government agencies (Niger's Ministry of Environment, Djibouti's Ministry of Agriculture), UN agencies (IOM), private companies (such as Kintetsu & Miyako Hotels Co., Ltd.), domestic municipalities, and artists.
Challenges and achievements for this year
2. Project progress during the FR period to date
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Please describe concretely and clearly the achievements and problems encountered, indicating the corresponding number in the output list described in Annex 2 as necessary. |
Our activities that started with FS, PR, and FR1 have now taken root in FR2. We can truly feel these activities are contributing to the formation of a research foundation. Providing compost class at elementary schools in Kyoto Prefecture, composting at The Westin Miyako Hotel Kyoto and supplying the compost to farmers, collaborating with Kyoto City Zoo, and working with artists—all these activities, despite repeated trial and error, are progressing well.
Through repeated public lectures and compost demonstrations, and through dialogue with participants, we have gained a clearer understanding of the issues at hand. Through inquiries and discussions with multiple companies, we have also come to understand the points of connection between our Organic Material Circulation Project and society. The purpose and intent of our Organic Material Circulation Project are increasingly gaining public understanding, influenced by worldwide factors such as rising prices for food and chemical fertilizers, and staple food shortages.
Furthermore, driven by sense of crisis regarding abnormal weather (heatwaves, droughts, excessive rainfall, floods), we feel a strong societal demand from people wanting to know what they can do as individuals and to change the current situation. Coverage of the Organic Material Circulation Project in mass media (TV, newspapers, magazines, etc.) has increased inquiries from companies. While we cannot respond to all of them, this is also a rewarding aspect. Waterless Dry Compost was introduced in the agricultural magazine ‘Modern Agriculture’ (#119). It received high praise for its clear, scientific explanation of composting principles and common failure causes, and is scheduled for reprinting in the ‘Japan National Agricultural Newspaper’. Completing the procedures for public patents and trademark rights in the second year, FR2 signifies that we have moved beyond merely assessing the current situation, as in traditional research styles. We believe this forms a foundation for expanding future research activities both within Japan and in sub-Saharan Africa.
In Niger, our project practice was officially recognized as greening method by the Niger Ministry of Environment. Social implementation was realized when UN agencies and the Niger Ministry of Environment initiated joint-project in Agadez (#420). Oyama PL received the World Omosiroi (Interesting) Award for this new social creation (#416, #465). This social implementation also seems to have clarified the direction our project should aim for.
Next, we consider the Djibouti case as the next outcome we want to connect to social implementation. While the Republic of Djibouti became a project site this academic year, we started the field operation in Douda, near the capital city of Djibouti, in 2019 six years ago. Despite the harsh environment of an extremely arid region, we use the treated wastewater for irrigation and continue date palms cultivation, socially and culturally valuable crop (Daher et al. 2015), as well as pomegranates, okra, melons, and tomatoes. Palm are known to require 125 liters of water per tree daily, necessitating a large volume of irrigation water (Hami Said and Yves2018). At the farm in Douda, treated wastewater is supplied from treatment plant with aid from the EU and the US. However, the dismantling of USAID and reduced aid under the Trump administration have led to frequent breakdowns of solar systems and pumps, causing frequent disruptions in the treated water supply to the farmland. Tap water in Djibouti City has high salinity, and the treated wastewater also has high salt concentration. To avoid salt accumulation, the water supply volume should be reduced.
Djibouti has a low food self-sufficiency rate, and the proportion of organic waste generated in daily life is low. Due to the high salinity of tap water in central Djibouti City, people buy bottled mineral water as drinking water. Large quantities of wasted plastic bottles, cloth, and prayer carpets are common. We bury plastic bottles into the ground and water directly to the root zone of date palms, along with covering the soil surface with the worn-out cloth and carpets. This practice improves the soil moisture effectively. This approach reduces intense solar radiation on the soil surface, prevents excessive heating, and also inhibits soil moisture evaporation. Using plastic bottles and old cloth reduced the daily irrigation water requirement per date palm to 25 liters, achieving an 80% reduction from the previously indicated necessary amount. This presentation received the Presentation Award from the Japan Association for Nilo-Ethiopian Studies (#289, #466, #470).
In Djibouti, people were originally pastoralists, such as the Somali and Afar, primarily engaged in nomadic herding of camels and goats alongside supplementary agriculture along the seasonal riverbeds. Near Djibouti City, urbanization has significantly transformed people's lives. In our on-site experiments, we try to raise the livestock in this extreme arid region, with the establishment of date palms. Treated wastewater is used for drip irrigation to cultivate Guinea grass. Using this Guinea grass as fodder has made goat rearing possible. The Djibouti Ministry of Agriculture highly values the arid agriculture technology utilizing treated wastewater, sewage sludge, and waste materials like old clothes and plastic bottles. We received proposals not only for training young agricultural extension officials from Djibouti but also for officals from Sudan and South Sudan, located in the same climate zone within IGAD (Inter-governmental Authority on Development).
The project activities spread a wide area, including Japan (particularly Kyoto) and eight regions across five sub-Saharan African countries. In each location, we have gained the understanding and support from local people and stakeholders, enabling us to advance research activities while grasping the realities of society. Domestically, we have engaged in economic activities such as providing classes at elementary schools, environmental education at public events, exhibitions at art museums, and composting at hotels. We are currently working towards the goal of transdisciplinary collaboration or social implementation with diverse stakeholders. We find it deeply rewarding, yet it also brings a profound sense of responsibility and the “dread” of being deeply rooted in and engaged with society. Particularly, the Kyoto Prefectural Board of Education has inquired about continuing class provision beyond the project period, March 2029 conclusion, prompting serious consideration of how to sustain these activities.
Furthermore, as the project gains coverage in television, newspapers, and magazines (such as #419-#424, #503), inquiries from companies have increased. We are considering moving forward with plans for intermediate treatment facility construction, coastal landfill greening, and natural restoration projects with ShinMaywa Ltd. However, corporate inquiries can be halted by changes in business conditions and policies. We plan to carefully evaluate new business opportunities before deciding whether to incorporate them into our project activities.
Collection of food waste from local markets and restaurants for pig farming, dry composting, and organic maize cultivation (Zambia); collection of food waste from local markets and restaurants for pig farming, dry composting, and organic plantain cultivation with demonstration experiments for Panama disease prevention (a global threat) (Uganda); Similarly, activities include collecting food waste from local markets and restaurants for pig farming and dry composting; cultivating plantain banana for subsistence and cocoa as a cash crop; and collaborating with private companies (Ghana). Additionally, there is the development of dryland agriculture and livestock technologies using sludge and treated water from sewage treatment plants (Djibouti). During the first and second years of the FR program, the establishment of experimental fields, research environments, and researcher networks was completed. Efforts are now underway to build networks with local researchers, relevant ministries (Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Environment), local residents, and related companies.
How can we theorize and integrate these wide-ranging project activities? Regarding alignment with the Matsuda Program “Creating a New Environmental Culture” and RIHN's vision and mission “Realizing a Sustainable Global Society,” I will address this in “4. Response to Last Year's Research Review/Report Session and EREC Comments.”
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2) Amendments to research objectives, methodology and organization as applicable |
As planned in the previous academic year, based on proposals from our co-researchers (Dr. Kosaka and Dr. Nakamura) and with their consent, we decided to exclude Southeast Asia from our research countries. We concentrate focus on Japan and sub-Saharan Africa. In sub-Saharan Africa, we added Djibouti, the capital of the Republic of Djibouti in East Africa, as a research target. In Djibouti City, PL Oyama has been leading the on-site experiments since 2019. Using treated wastewater and sewage sludge discharged from the water treatment plant, we are working for the development of dryland agriculture technologies in collaboration with the Djibouti Ministry of Agriculture. These changes to the research and survey target countries were already planned in the previous year, AY2024, and were documented in the FR1 report after obtaining approval from Program Director, Prof. Matsuda.
3. Self-diagnosis of research results in this year
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Please describe the following concretely and clearly. |
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1) Results achieved this year |
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Based on the collaborative relationships with stakeholders, the Kyoto Prefectural Board of Education, elementary schools, and local residents through FR1, we have worked numerous diverse research activities and initiatives both in Japan and in Africa. While it is impossible to detail all, we highlight and describe characteristic research activities and initiatives below.
1) Activities in Japan (particularly in Kyoto)
<Procedures for Patents and Trademark Rights>
With the cooperation and guidance of RIHN officials, we could complete the patent application (publication) for waterless dry compost with the Japan Patent Office (JPO) through Fuji Patent Office on October 10th, 2025. According to the previous manuals, compost involves adding food waste and water at the start. Our claim scope involves setting a one-week preparation period. This period allows microbial proliferation to induce nitrogen starvation and dry conditions. It also utilizes moisture naturally present in food scraps and moisture generated during organic material decomposition, intentionally avoiding the addition of water. Furthermore, due to the emergence of third-party videos and content online dealing with dry compost, the application process for the trademark “RHIN (chikyu-ken) Compost (Waterless Dry Compost)” has been completed.
<Outreach Activities>
We practiced presentations, compost demonstrations, and exhibitions at the following events: November 4, 2025 - March 16, 2026, Kanazawa 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Special Exhibition “Ecology of Empathy” Exhibition: Display of “Compost House” (collaborative work with artist Yasura Takeshi), February 15, 2025, Kanazawa 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art Lecture (RIHN Special Day, 80 attendees), April 14, Kyoto City Zoo Event “Introduction to Wildlife Studies” (38 attendees), May 21, Osaka Umeda Grand Front Osaka Knowledge Capital SpringX (15 attendees), July 5, 2025: Osaka Expo, 3rd Japan International Art Festival; July 27 & August 31, 2025: Osaka, Umeda Grand Front Osaka Knowledge Capital The Lab (for upper elementary school students, 20 participants); and numerous others (#188-193, 287, 292-294, 357, 362, etc.).
<Collaborative Project with Kyoto Prefectural Board of Education, Promotion of Environmental Education>
Using the RIHN Compost (waterless dry compost), four project members (Oyama, Shioya, Aoiike, Noda) provide integrated learning classes at elementary schools in Kyoto Prefecture. This class is part of collaborative MOU agreement project between RIHN and the Kyoto Prefectural Board of Education, and we continue since AY 2023. This is third year. From April 28, 2025, to March 6, 2026 (planned), Sub-leader Akiyo Shioya and Researcher Utako Aoi are providing compost lessons to 31 fifth-grade students across two classes at Ide Elementary School. During the first semester, they visited the elementary school every Monday. Through the process of making compost, students observed changes in temperature, odor, and materials, and continuously recorded their findings using digital tablets. For the second semester, classes are held once a month. They explain soil functions, microorganisms, waste disposal, and food loss. Through practical exercises, students learn that soil is an essential element indispensable to human life. The Compost House, exhibited last year at the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa, was relocated to the courtyard of Ide Elementary School for use in the class. An installation ceremony was held on November 7, 2025. Pupils produce compost inside this facility and use it to grow vegetables and flowers in the school garden.
Since last year, we provide advice on composting during lunchtime at Yamabuki Special Support School. In the 2025 academic year, Shioya and Aoike conducted composting classes for 17 second-year junior high students over seven sessions from September 8 to October 27. At the special assistance school, students at different learning stages attend the same class. With the cooperation from teachers and the use of specially designed record sheets, all students were able to enjoy the composting activities and become familiar with soil. We spent a significant amount of time on the first and final sessions to review the purpose of composting and reflect on what was learned.
<Booklet Publication>
We published a booklet summarizing the outcomes and learning from the “Integrated project based-learning” program, implemented since AY 2023 as a collaborative project with the Kyoto Prefectural Board of Education in September 2025 (#6). This 114-page booklet, including 7 chapters, acknowledgments, a related reference list, and supplementary materials, aims to widely share the methodology of compost class and support educational settings, thereby promoting the adoption of compost class.
2) Activities in Five African Countries (Focusing on Djibouti)
<Initiatives in Djibouti>
From this year, we include the Republic of Djibouti as a research country. Since 2020, Oyama PL has been developing a farm in Douda, near Djibouti City, as part of Tokyo University of Agriculture's SATREPS project: “Research on Establishing Progressive and Sustainable Water Resource Management Technologies Based on an Assessment of Large-Scale Greening Potential in Djibouti” (Principal Investigator: Professor Sawahiko Shimada). Professor Shimada participates as a co-researcher in our project. In this extreme arid region with annual rainfall of 120mm, we plant date palms, pomegranates, okra, melons, watermelons, and Guinea grass using treated sewage water and sludge. This is a unique experiment: raising goats using Guinea grass cultivated via drip irrigation. In collaboration with the Djibouti Ministry of Agriculture, we are advancing plans to train young Djiboutian officials and cultivate agricultural talent in the IGAD region (Sudan, South Sudan).
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2) Results can be evaluated as having overfulfilled |
Our project emphasizes the linkage of waste management with greening and agricultural production, tailored to local conditions and needs. In Japan—particularly in urban areas—people and businesses are highly concerned about handling food waste generated in daily life, and we propose RIHN Compost (waterless dry compost). Niger's Ministry of Environment recognized officially the greening method using urban organic waste pioneered by Oyama PL. Its social implementation is now underway, with the UN IOM (International Organization for Migration) and Niger's Ministry of Environment launching joint project in the northern city of Agadez. Initially, there were concerns about ownership of the research results. However, as there are few established examples of environmental restoration technology in Africa, it has been featured on the Japanese government's official SNS, at TICAD (Tokyo International Conference on African Development), and on NHK World's “Direct Talk.” It has also been included in junior high school social studies and high school geography textbooks, and has been featured in numerous newspapers, television programs, and online news.
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3) Points to be evaluated that the goals were not reached |
Through successful strengthened collaboration with government officials such as Niger Ministry of Environment and Djibouti Ministry of Agriculture, we achieved the FR2 objectives largely. However, due to recent concerns over rising food and agricultural input prices, extreme weather, climate change, and environmental issues, we found ourselves overwhelmed responding to lecture requests, media interviews, and television/radio appearances. While the media coverage generated significant impact, we were unable to create academic publication of papers and books. I believe it is necessary to rethink how to effectively produce results.
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4) Notable achievements and challenges as to contribution to the RIHN programs |
The Matsuda Program aims to examine the process of transforming people's values and behaviors by incorporating perspectives on daily life and culture into scientific research. It contributes to solving global environmental issues. This project focuses on understanding people’s perception and responds to phenomena such as declining agricultural production, expanding degraded land and desertification. We emphasize our notable contribution to Matsuda Program lies in connecting urban markets, restaurants, farmers, pig farms, and various Japanese companies—including food and machinery manufacturers—along with artists and creators. We aim to find the specific local issues and global environmental problems to tackle, and we aim for solutions together with the local stakeholders. We focus on the minute knowledge and networks of individuals—which lack generalizability and have long eluded scientific inquiry—and aim to guide solutions to environmental problems through the collective wisdom.
Future tasks
5. Future outlook(For mid-term evaluation)
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Please describe the outlook for achieving the research goals. |
In Japan, research activities will be centered in Kyoto. At hotels within Kyoto City, we will continue producing compost through dry compost using food waste from restaurants. This aims to establish a cycle of organic material with agro-producers, contribute to the branding of agricultural products and hotels. It promotes visible social capital. We will maintain composting classes at four elementary schools (special needs schools) within Kyoto prefecture. At Kyoto City Zoo, we will continue mini-compost experiments, aiming to develop and establish environmental education methods. We will commission third-party analysis of chemical and biological properties, as well as toxic heavy metals, and explore commercialization possibilities with designer and editors.
In December 2026, an international conference organized by the African Commission of the International Geographical Union (IGU) is scheduled to be organized. We plan to organize a session there. Additionally, we will organize the Annual Meeting of the Japanese Association for Arid Land Studies at RIHN on May 30-31, 2026. We organize public symposium. Project group meetings are scheduled for May and July, and the Project Public Seminar (6 sessions total) will be held on the first Friday of every odd-numbered month. Staff in the three sub-Saharan countries will gather for a workshop in Ghana in October to exchange information.
We plan to actively communicate our activities through the project website and social media, as well as through newspapers, television, radio, and other media outlets. We also aim to drive social change through branding efforts for the Organic Material Circulation Project and its researchers.
6. Research plan for next year
Next year marks the third year of the FR program. Building on the research bases established in five African countries during FR Years 1 and 2, we plan to focus on on-site experiments for using organic waste in greening and agricultural applications. We actively encourage our co-researchers to participate in overseas fieldwork.
In Zambia, we continue field research primarily led by Harada, Hara SL, and Oyama PL. Harada has initiated a JICA/JST SATREPS project, which will collaborate with this project. Hara SL is conducting field research in the capital Lusaka and in Mumbwe District, North Western Province. The counterparts are the Department of Geography and Environmental Sciences at the University of Zambia, with which RIHN has an inter-institutional academic exchange MOU agreement. In Lusaka, we will continue the effects of pig farming using organic waste as feed and maize cultivation utilizing pig manure, including crop yield surveys and soil improvement.
In Uganda, Shioya SL, Nakazawa, and Oyama PL are the three main researchers. We plan to make academic exchange MOU agreement with Makerere University, and based on this agreement we will start joint research on food loss across all processes, from crop cultivation in rural areas to consumers in the capital, Kampala. In Uganda, restaurants serve large portions of staple foods, and consumers often cannot finish them, leading to waste. Understanding the reality of food loss is crucial. Additionally, an urban culture of eating pork, known as “pork joint,” is deeply rooted in Uganda, and plans are in place to produce pork in urban areas. Pilot on-site experiments in pig farming and composting will continue at the on- site experimental farm in Luwero District, near the capital Kampala.
In Ghana, three researchers—Ushiku SL, Kirikoshi, and Oyama PL—continue our research activities. Kirikoshi has established 5m² experimental plots in both forest and savanna zones, adding local household waste to observe which plants emerge. Similar experiments have begun in Zambia, aiming to compare the species and weight of plants that grow. Anderson (1952) and Abbo et al. (2005), and Mannion (1999) proposed the “Dump-heap hypothesis” as the origin of agriculture. We plan to clarify changes in plant species growing due to the accumulation of household waste. In Ghana, we plan to construct experimental plots in Eastern and Northern regions for organic cacao cultivation using compost. We discuss the collaboration with Meiji Seika, one of the major chocolate producers.
In Djibouti, we use treated sewage water for irrigating at date palm farm. Adjacent to this sewage treatment plant, we manage 1-hectare (100m x 100m) experimental plot. We develop the dryland agriculture technology. With the support of the Djibouti Ministry of Agriculture, we continue the operation of this experimental farm. Djibouti has a tropical extreme arid environment with annual rainfall of about 120 mm, making a severe constraint for agriculture. By using treated sewage water for irrigation, we continue to cultivate 30 date palms since 2020. Despite the severe environment of intense solar radiation, high temperatures, and dryness, we aim to establish an agro-pastoral system using treated sewage water for irrigation and sewage sludge for fertilizer.
We plan to install meteorological observation equipment (rain gauge, thermometer, hygrometer) at the on-site experimental field in each country for automatic measurement and recording. Additionally, to measure CO2 and CH4 emissions from the abandonment of organic waste or its agricultural use via the chamber method, we plan to purchase CO2 and CH4 sensors for on-site observation. These measurements will be measure by co-researcher, Prof. Nakano.
7. Tasks for the next fiscal year onward
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1. Please describe in detail the problems and challenges that your project faced this year and their possible solutions. 2. Please indicate if there are any particular issues regarding the RIHN support system for project research. |
1. Challenges faced by the project and their possible Solutions
Our project involves numerous opportunities, including research and studies on compost, data collection, research presentations at academic conferences, providing class at elementary schools and special needs classes, lectures at public events, explanations for visitors to RIHN, media interviews, and meetings with stakeholders such as companies and schools. However, we can see the instances where authorship of data, insights, and ideas, as well as the daily research activities were not respected. To address this, in October 2025, Oyama PL initiated a study session on research ethics. Discussions covered scientists' responsibilities and originality, research misconduct, AI utilization, and methods for presenting research outcomes. Furthermore, due to instances of unauthorized video creation and online posting by external parties without consultation, we pursued patent acquisition and trademark registration for the RIHN Compost (waterless dry compost) under the guidance and cooperation of the RIHN professionals. Program Director Prof. Matsuda has provided valuable consultation to us.
2. Issues regarding the RIHN support system for project research
We are deeply grateful for the extensive support provided by the RIHN officials. Within the project, we have also received significant assistance from the Research Associate, Administrative Assistants, and Research Fellows. While we do not perceive any fundamental issues with the support system, we recognize that the duties at RIHN under cross-appointments extend beyond project management and research promotion alone, placing the Project Leader in an intensely demanding work environment.