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Composting For Limiting Pollution

Animal manure is rich in nutrients that make it a great organic fertilizer. At SPNL, we use cow manure to create grade A compost which our community of farmers can then use or sell.

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The main objective of the project is to reduce or stop the practice of dumping cow manure into waterways leading to the Litani river near Ammiq wetland through teaching local dairy farmers how they can use thermal composting to turn the cow manure into grade A compost free of weed seeds and harmful pathogens.
In the villages of Ghazza and Mansoura, near the Ammiq wetland (Lebanon’s major Ramsar Site), more than 50 dairy cattle farms are dumping their runoff and cow manure directly into the Litani river and waterways surrounding the wetland.
The farmers in that area refrain from using the cow manure on their agricultural lands for fear of weed seeds and bacterial contamination, and they prefer to use chemical fertilizers.
Educating the farming community

Educating the farming community

In cooperation with the Litani River Authority (LRA) and with the support of the Agence Francaise pour la Developpement (AFD), SPNL is spearheading a project that aims to use cattle manure to create grade A compost. Farmers can either use the compost in their agricultural activities or otherwise sell it if they do not need it themselves. This project is thus beneficial to the local farmers and also helps mitigate the pollution of the Litani River and the Quraon Lake.

Grade A compost

Composting project aims to use cattle manure to create grade A compost

Compost for farming

Farmers can then use compost for farming, or otherwise sell it
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Mitigating the pollution

Project benefits farmers while also mitigating the pollution of the Litani River and the Quraon Lake

Use or sell

Farmers can either use the compost in their agricultural activities or otherwise sell it if they do not need it themselves