Biogas production as a sustainable waste valorisation technology: perspectives from Namibia

With the growth in world population, animal production has intensified even among smallholder farmers in Africa. Because of increased animal farming without any shifting cultivation, most smallholder farmers generate sizeable quantities of animal manure from goats, cows, chickens and sheep rearing. When used raw, these animal manures are of less value, especially as a fertilizer and even pose environmental risks. Our chapter presents the aspects of animal manure valorisation in the form of biogas generation that can be adoptable by smallholder farmers. Biogas has the potential of generating clean, renewable energy for rural communities, thus not only preventing deforestation but also improving the lifestyles of rural communities. The digestate produced from biogas digestion has potential use in organic soil fertility management, although varying results are presented regarding this subject, thus calling for more research. Our chapter presents information that can be beneficial to resource-poor farmers in Africa by tapping into some perspectives from research done in Namibia and other parts of the world focusing on biogas digestion.