From poo to profit

Finding work and making a sustainable income can be tough in the city of Faridpur, Bangladesh. Liakat Hossain struggled to find a job, so he decided to start his own business growing and selling flowers.

Like many horticulturists, Liakat used chemical fertilisers at first, but then he heard about a Practical Action ‘co-composting’ trial in Faridpur. It was clear to him that this sustainable compost – made from faecal sludge and kitchen waste – could make a big difference to his business. It was a real lightbulb moment.

“I learned that co-compost is especially good for growing flowers. I met with Practical Action staff and found out the best way to use their compost to improve my harvest. I have worked very hard to make my farm work and I’m proud of how well it’s doing.”

Liakat found that the quality of his flower yields was greatly improved when he began using co-compost.

“Before using co-compost, the lifespan of my plants was two or three years. Now, it has increased to five-to-eight years.”

“Also, chemical fertiliser damages the soil quality over time, which means I have to leave the land for up to five years to let the soil recover before I can start growing on it again. With co-compost, there’s no need to let the soil recover – in fact, the soil quality improves over time.”

Using the co-compost also means Liakat’s soil holds water more effectively, making it more resilient to drought. Liakat wants to share his skills so that more people can benefit.

“I hope that others will follow my path in flower gardening so that we can create a network of knowledgeable horticulturists who can support each other. I’m trying to make this happen by visiting less experienced farmers and sharing what I’ve learned from Practical Action so they can be successful like me.”

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