AlkaSave methodology & approach

PERSPECTIVES AND OPPORTUNITIES TO CLOSE THE SANITATION LOOP IN R URAL CAMBODIA

Potential solutions to integrate public health and agriculture through lime

Brian Chhor & Katie Nelson

Stanford Gap for Good, XSEED

September 2012

OUTLINE

1. Background

2. Methodology

3. Technical feasibility

4. iDE’s operational viability

5. Consumer desirability

6. Business models

7. Implementation plan

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PROJECT BACKGROUND

Based on last summer's research, tying agricultural value to human waste could provide incentive to

change sanitation practices.

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SUMMER OBJECTIVES

Explore opportunities to close the sanitation loop in rural Cambodia:

» Exploring existing sanitation systems worldwide

» Developing an understanding of the Cambodian context

» Testing concepts in the field

METH

OD

OLO

GYINITIAL EXPLORATION OF

SANITATIONTREATMENT OPTIONS:

CHEMICALAlkalineUltravioletChlorine

STEP 1: Research

BIOLOGICALBiodigestionVermicultureComposting

AerobicAnaerobic

PHYSICALPasteurizationShearingFilter

METH

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STEP 2: Examine technical feasibility of lime

» Safety

» Efficacy

» Literature review

STEP 3: Operational viability» iDE’s existing resources

» Supply chain

STEP 4: Consumer desirability » Field visits to Kandal, Svai Rieng (x2)

» 7 FBAs, 5 farmers, 3 non-farmers, 1 village chief

» iDE's SVR Chief Agronomist, Operations Manager, field staff

» Business model comparison

TECHNICAL FEASIBILITY

TECH

NIC

AL FEA

SIBILITY

Chemical Process

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AL FEA

SIBILITY

Types of Lime

CaCO3

(Limestone)

• Easiest and safest to handle

• Replenishes calcium in soils

• Used in toothpaste, cereal, antacids

• When burned (calcination), produces CaO

CaO

(Quicklime)

• Will spontaneously react with CO2 and H2O in air, can ignite combustible materials

• Can reach temp of 100 C

• Dries and pasteurizes sludge, raises pH

• Causes severe burns when inhaled or placed in contact with moist skin or eyes.

Ca(OH)2

(Hydrated Lime)

•Relatively stable compared to CaO

•Does not generate heat,raises pH to 12

•Good for building and mortar- aggregate and stabilizer

•Good for white washing, pickling, and deodorizing animal waste

•Unprotected exposure to Ca(OH)2 should be limited. It can cause severe skin irritation, chemical burns, blindness, or lung damage.

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SIBILITY

Lime in Sanitation

» High pH levels destroy and prevent regrowth of pathogens

» Vector attraction barrier prevents insect infection of waste

» Reduce heavy metal content

» Destruction of odors

TECH

NIC

AL FEA

SIBILITY

» Increased pH improves acidic soil

» Classified as a “soil amendment,” not a fertilizer

Improves soil quality over time rather than having a direct impact

on short-term crop growth

» Decreased insect and pest attraction

» Increases soil permeability and water percolation

» Improves conditions for nitrogen-fixing bacteria

» Captures phosphates and ammonia

Lime in Agriculture

TECH

NIC

AL FEA

SIBILITY

In the Literature

TECH

NIC

AL FEA

SIBILITY

Fungi and Pathogens Post-Treatment

TECH

NIC

AL FEA

SIBILITY

Chemical Assay Post-Treatment

Lime

FlocculationpH Testing with Ca(OH)2

TECH

NIC

AL FEA

SIBILITY

TECH

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AL FEA

SIBILITY

Mixing Devices:Latrine-level and toilet

level

TECH

NIC

AL FEA

SIBILITY

Lime Storage and Dispenser

TECH

NIC

AL FEA

SIBILITY

KEY POINTS:

» Chemically, lime is well adapted for both:

Sanitation purposes : kills pathogens, insect attraction barrier, odor reduction

Agricultural purposes: increased pH and soil permeability, phosphate and ammonia fixing, pest reduction

» Calcium hydroxide (Ca(OH)2) is the most promising form

Safer than CaO and more alkaline than CaCO3

» Lime needs to be adequately mixed with waste to ensure

sterilization

OPERATIONAL VIABILITY

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iDE’s Current Use of Lime

» Sold through FBA network

5-10% of overall sales

Sales have doubled in past year

Sold mainly to NGOs

» Focused on vegetable plots

» Pilot test:

Recommendation was 300-500 kg/hectare.

In pilot test (1 HH), used 300 kg on 1 hectare.

Rice yield increased from 1 ton/hectare to 3.5 ton/hectare

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iDE’s LIME SUPPLY CHAIN

?Lime is sourced from Vietnam, but the original provenance is unknown. Perhaps China?

OP

ERA

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IAB

ILITY


?

iDE purchases lime from across the border, and transports to Svay Rieng

Lors Thmey

OP

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IAB

ILITY


?

Lors Thmey distributes to FBAs and sells to NGOs

Lors Thmey

NGOsDon BoscoCADFiDE partnersAVILUSAID

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?

FBAs use the lime themselves and sell to famers in small quantities

Lors Thmey

NGOsDon BoscoCADFiDE partnersAVILUSAID

OP

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TION

AL V

IAB

ILITY

Problems with existing supply chain

» Inefficient sourcing and distribution

» Instability of existing source

» Lack of quality control

OP

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ILITY

Household costs & Alternate sourcing

Amount of Ca(OH)2 to get pH 11.5:1 teaspoon lime/ gal waste

(0.528 teaspoon/ 2L flush)

Amount of Ca(OH)2 per household per year:-5 people per household

-one flush per person per day

-Density Ca(OH)2 = 2.211 g/cm3

23.1511 lb per household

per year

Cost of Ca(OH)2 to household:

-US $90-200 / Metric Ton (via Lianyungang Jialei

International Trade Co., Ltd)

-Avg. $145 / metric ton ($0.0658 /lb)

-Ca(OH)2 from Thailand and Kampot (2008)

-$110-120 / metric ton ($0.0521 /lb)

-Ca(OH)2 from Battambang

-$90 / metric ton ($0.0408 /lb)

$0.94 per household per

year

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BILITY

KEY POINTS:

» iDE currently uses lime and has a full supply chain already built around it

» Supply chain should be reexamined for inefficiencies and quality control

» Most customers are repeat buyers

» The cost per household of a lime distribution scheme should cost less than $3/HH/year

CONSUMER DESIRABILITY

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DESIR

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Central question:

Is alkaline stabilization of waste viable in the Cambodian context?

» Relevant information about existing agricultural practices and

preferences

» Understanding of waste management and sanitation norms

» Acceptability of central design concept

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USER INSIGHTS

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ILITYFARMING: A Lifestyle

"When the wind comes, the rice looks like it's dancing.”

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ILITYFARMING: A Necessity

“There is no point in growing my own cucumbers when I can get them for cheaper at the market."

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ILITY"Everything is challenging. Some people fail once or twice and then give up. Other people fail over and over again until they get it right.“

FARMING

INSIGHT:

While the FBAs need to use the product themselves and observe the proof of its efficacy, farmers are willing to listen to FBAs recommendations based on their reputation alone.

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ILITYFARMING

INSIGHT:

FBAs are the thought leaders of the farming community, and advocate high inputs for high yields. Those farmers that ascribe to this philosophy are passionate about farming; those who do not are not willing to expend the effort or money to make improvements.

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ILITYFARMING

DESIGN PRINCIPLE:

Because FBAs are early adopters who are committed to learning new techniques to improve their farming, they should be the target of any new agricultural product.

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DESIR

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ILITYFRAMEWORKS FOR UNDERSTANDING: Chemicals

“People put chemicals in everything now, and we have shorter lives because of it."

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DESIR

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ILITYFRAMEWORKS FOR UNDERSTANDING: Mechanization

“Before, we peeled rice by hand, now a machine does it."

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ILITYFRAMEWORKS FOR UNDERSTANDING

INSIGHT:

Increased reliance on chemical and mechanical agricultural technology disconnects both farmers and consumers from the way that crops are being grown, resulting in suspicion and misunderstanding.

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ILITYFRAMEWORKS FOR UNDERSTANDING: Chemicals

"It's like MSG; before, we put a little on our food and it tasted good. Now we use a lot and it doesn’t taste any better.“

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ILITYFRAMEWORKS FOR UNDERSTANDING: Chemical Additives

Chemicals make “the ground hard" and "the rice red,” but “it’s good for the crops.”

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ILITYFRAMEWORKS FOR UNDERSTANDING: Organic Additives

Organic fertilizer makes "the rice white" and "the soil loose.”

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INSIGHT:

Farmers have a hard time reconciling the negative effects chemicals have on the environment with the increased quality of yields.

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DESIGN PRINCIPLE:

Increase transparency in the growing process through education. Emphasize both the organic and home-made nature of the product.

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ILITYWASTE: Pol Pot

“It was like being forced to drink from a water hose until you overflowed and couldn’t take anymore. There is no room left for anything else. We are full, fed up.”

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ILITYWASTE: Disgust

“You would have us eat our own shit?!”

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ILITYWASTE

INSIGHT:

There is a strong aversion to using human waste as a fertilizer but people regularly use animal waste on their crops.

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ILITYWASTE

INSIGHT:

In trying to make full use of livestock, waste is seen as a consumable and valuable good. Humans, on the other hand, do not have the same association --so it is hard for people to see human excrement as anything more than unwanted waste.

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ILITYWASTE

INSIGHT:

People believe bacteria (and associated diseases) to be unique to human waste, and perhaps, unique among family members.

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ILITYWASTE: Rice vs. Vegetables

INSIGHT:

The difference in technique and use between rice and vegetables ‘shields’ farmers and consumers from the negative associations of human waste.

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ILITYWASTE

DESIGN PRINCIPLE:

We need to determine the acceptability of using a waste-based (but sterile) fertilizer on vegetables, and market it accordingly.

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ILITYWASTE

INSIGHT:

People use transformative techniques like composting and biodigesting to turn the waste into an acceptable product.

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ILITYWASTE

DESIGN PRINCIPLE:

Our product needs to utilize this concept of transformation to break the connection between human waste and the treated fertilizer final product.

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KEY POINTS:

Opportunities:

» FBAs as resource within village network

» Prevalence of lime usage

» Desire for "better" organic fertilizer

» Fear of bacteria

Challenges:

» Wariness of chemical additives

» Stigma associated with human waste

» Lack of motivation to change farming practices

BU

SINESS M

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HTS

HO

USEH

OLD

MO

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Cost:

$4 Container

+

$3/year

SERV

ICE M

OD

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Cost:

$10 or $15 per latrine empty

+

$1/km travelled for treatment

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SINESS IN

SIGH

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GENERAL INSIGHTS

» General excitement

Odor elimination

Yield increase

Bacteria sterilization

» Concerns about safety

» Concerns about adherence

» Reception varied depending on price point

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SINESS IN

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» Could be integrated into daily chores.

» Adherence is a concern for children, who already don’t practice sanitary behaviors.

» People need to know that the product is safe to handle and apply.

HOUSEHOLD INSIGHTS

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SINESS IN

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TSOPERATIONAL INSIGHTS

DESIGN PRINCIPLE:

If safety and adherence concerns cannot be addressed, treatment needs to be centralized.

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SINESS IN

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» Some farmers associate hiring external help with a loss of control over their farming practices (and outcomes).

» Even at an affordable price point, people considered the idea of hiring labor to be a luxury, and perhaps needlessly extravagant.

» Hiring someone to empty a latrine is less desirable than hiring someone to transport and apply waste to crops.

SERVICE INSIGHTS

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SINESS IN

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» Several people we spoke to mentioned that human waste is currently commoditized in other countries, so there is precedent for establishing a Cambodian market.

» Fertilizer sourced from Thailand and Vietnam already contains human waste; consider a similar integration with fertilizer production in Cambodia.

COMMODITIZATION INSIGHTS & PRINCIPLES

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SINESS

MO

DELS

» People recognized the potential for mass production under this system, but were wary of using it themselves.

» Mass production of public waste would require secondary processing to break connection between waste and fertilizer product.

SCALING INSIGHTS & PRINCIPLES

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SINESSES M

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KEY POINTS:

Opportunities:

» Excitement about cheaper, organic fertilizerEspecially FBA buy-in

» Potential for scale-upExisting public waste streams

Analogous market

Challenges:

» Adherence

» Safety & toxicity

» Waste stigma

Technical Feasibility

» Appropriate sanitation use, due to pathogen & odor reduction

» Appropriate for agricultural use, due to positive effects of pH increase on soil

» Lime-sludge mix requires homogenization and 2 hours of treatment to sterilize

» Importance of containment of potentially harmful substance

Operational Viability» Existing supply chain,

customer base, sales support

» Need to explore novel sourcing options to ensure quality control, optimize cost savings

» Potential for low cost treatment solution

Consumer Desirability» Willingness to adopt

new practices, especially cheap, organic solutions- need for procedural transparency

» Stigma against human waste use on HH consumption crops

» Importance of transformationBusiness Models

» Potential for scale-up» Need for additional

processing to increase acceptability

» Concerns about safety, adherence in HH model

KEY MESSAGES:

IMP

LEMEN

TATIO

NP

LAN

Next steps:

Supply chain

Treatment protocol

Fertilizer efficacy

Operationmodel

Pilot test

IMP

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LAN

Supply Chain

Determine the type of lime iDE is currently

using

Quality control of existing product

Explore Cambodian

sourcing opportunities

IMP

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N P

LAN

• Laboratory testing• Fecal coliform, helminths

• Field testing• Method required for

adequate mixing

• WHO protocol for crop use

Ensure sterilization

• Testing of existing product

• Establish use guidelines

Ensure safety

Treatment Protocol

IMP

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Fertilizer efficacy

Determine NPK ratio for chemical

fertilizer cost comparison

Soil testingDemonstration

plot

IMP

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N P

LAN

Determine operational

model

Household

Build container

Consumer testing

AdherenceSpecific efficacy

Entrepreneurial

Determine key resources

Set pricing

Identify entrepreneurs

EducationDefine

services provided

IMP

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Research question & study scope

Determine Sample size

Recruit FBAs as target users

Create small-scale latrines and demo plots

•Both rice and vegetables

Bacterial testing

Pilot Test

User feedback

AC

KN

OW

LEDG

EMEN

TS

Team EZPZJohn Thomas

Peter Mulligan

Stanford XSEED and d.SchoolMy Le

Joan Dorsey

Rita Lonhart

Marlo Dreissigacker

iDE CambodiaYi Wei

Pisith Lim

Philip Charlesworth

Lida Seng

Special thanks to:Elyse Marr

THANKS TO:

QUESTIONS

HU

MA

N W

ASTE

AlkaSave methodology & approach

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