The Kabare Living Lab is located north of Bukavu in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). With a population exceeding 500,000, the area stretches between Birava and Kabamba at altitudes ranging from 1,400 to 1,700 meters. The mountainous climate provides favorable conditions for agriculture, making it a key farming region.

Cocoa farming is a vital industry in West Africa, with 70% of the world’s cocoa supply coming from the region. In Cameroon, and specifically in the Ntui Agroecological Living Lab (ALL), the CANALLS Project is addressing critical challenges related to shade management for cocoa trees.

When we think of fertilizers, human urine might not be the first thing that comes to mind. Yet, in the experimental fields of Bujumbura, this natural, nutrient-rich resource is making waves in sustainable agriculture. As part of CANALLS Project, researchers and farmers are working together to tackle low soil fertility using an unlikely practice—sanitized urine.

Why Urine?

Low soil fertility is one of the biggest challenges for Bujumbura’s Agroecological Living Lab. Without fertile soil, crops like maize and soybeans struggle to thrive. Now, enter urine: a safe, effective, and affordable alternative.

Urine contains essential nutrients like nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium—key components for plant growth. Unlike solid waste, it is easier, cheaper, and safer to collect, handle, and apply.

However, more information is needed to help farmers understand the full benefits of sanitized urine. By demonstrating its potential to improve soil fertility and boost crop yields, this project is paving the way for reducing reliance on expensive, synthetic inputs.

The experiment in Bujumbura

The trials in Bujumbura aim to address key questions around the use of sanitized urine as a fertilizer for maize-legume intercrops. The objectives of the experiment include:

1. Evaluating the risks associated with human urine use as a fertilizer for maize-legume intercrops in the Bujumbura Agroecological Living Lab (ALL).
2. Modeling and validating the potential amounts of organic nutrients that can be produced from human, sanitized urine by farmers working in cooperatives in Bujumbura.
3. Evaluating the response curve of maize-legume intercrops to increasing doses of human urine to understand its effect on crop productivity and determine optimum dosages.
4. Performing an economic analysis to assess the feasibility and cost-effectiveness of using sanitized urine as a fertilizer for maize-legume intercrops.

Building a Sustainable System

By aligning the recommended urine application rates with the local use of urea (37.5 kg/ha), researchers are developing a system that balances sustainability with practicality. Beyond boosting soil fertility, the project is also exploring the return on investment (ROI) for farmers, such as the cost of establishing eco-san toilets or purchasing urine from neighbors.

The use of sanitized urine as a fertilizer presents a wide range of benefits—not only for farmers but also for the private sector, governments, and researchers. The CANALLS project is at the heart of this effort, investigating how these benefits can be maximized and scaled.

Nestled in the forest-savannah transition zone of Cameroon, Ntui is a region where farming is the primary occupation. With nearly 110 rainy days per year, Ntui serves as a strategic agricultural hub, supporting a diverse range of crops, forestry, and animal husbandry activities.  Remarkably, 76.7% of farmers are dedicated to cocoa production, the focal crop of the CANALLS Project in Ntui. Cocoa is cultivated in an agroforestry system, intentionally intercropped with valuable trees such as fruit, medicinal, and woody species.

Tackling Challenges with Agroecological Practices

The CANALLS Project has introduced a range of agroecological practices to address key farming challenges in the 8 cocoa farms of Ntui, including:

1. Proper Shade Management, which reduces issues like pod rot, dieback, and mirid insect damage.
2. The Use of Foliar Fertilizers to combat nutrient deficiencies in cocoa plants.
3. Application of Biopesticides to control insects and brown rot.

Overcoming Field Challenges

Several challenges are related to the field experiments including climatic variations, that have significantly disrupted the farming calendar. Biopesticide availability is limited, as growing demand among farmers has created shortages in the market. Another issue is theft, which has increased due to the sharp rise in cocoa prices, from 1.83€/kg in 2022 to about 6.09€ in 2024.

The research team collaborates closely with farmers and local communities to align the data collection activities to farmer’s calendars to finally measure the effect of the on-farm experiments. Decision Support Tools are under development to aid planning and implementation. Additionally, training and capacity-building activities are ongoing.

Research is also underway to define strategies for the production and commercialization of biopesticides, while adaptation efforts continue to address challenges posed by climate change and theft.

The Role of Key Stakeholders

Co-creation activities in the Ntui Agroecology Living Lab (ALL) involve multiple stakeholders:

• Researchers, who work to co-create solutions that are locally adapted, ecologically sustainable, and socially just.
• Farmers, who are central to the process, not only implement agroecological practices but also innovating, educating, stewarding the environment, and advocating for sustainable food systems.
• Advisors, who provide technical knowledge, guidance, and resources to support sustainable farming practices.
• Value Chain Actors, who connect sustainable farmers to markets, drive innovation, and advocate for supportive agroecology policies.
• State Agents promote widespread adoption of agroecological practices through policies, financial support, research, capacity building, and market development.

Stakeholders have taken part in multiple workshops, engaging in activities such as testing the Decision Support Tools, evaluating the potential adoption of foliar fertilization in the Ntui LL, and building the capacity of advisory service organizations using OCATI (Organizational Capacity Assessment Tool for Innovation).

Promising Results and the Road Ahead

Stakeholders have already observed promising results in the experimental plots. During field visits in October, many noted improved production indicators, such as an increased number of cocoa pods per tree, denser foliage, and reduced pest and disease attacks in the experimental plots. One farmer proudly showcased a large harvest from his experimental plots, explaining that the yield was so impressive he had to hire additional workers to complete the harvest. Meanwhile, tools are being developed within the framework of the CANALLS Project to enhance market access and support agroecological products.

The first phase of trials is scheduled to conclude in February 2025, culminating in a co-creation workshop to design a scale-up strategy. Meanwhile, the team remains committed to advancing agroecological transitions.

In order to support farmers and other rural stakeholders of CANALLS communities in adopting agroecological and more sustainable farming practices, it is very critical to also analyse and segment the markets for the agroecological products produced in our Agroecology Living Labs.

Agroecology offers promising pathways to increase productivity and build resilience to socio-ecological, economic, and climate shocks, delivering holistic solutions to complex challenges in the food systems.