Soil health is a good driver for better city waste management.

Cities generate about 70% of global waste. Improving how cities manage waste can directly benefit urban soils. When organic materials are safely separated and processed into compost, biochar, or biowaste through black soldier fly, and then applied to perennials or urban farms, they return nutrients back to the soils and support urban farming and healthier urban soils.

FAO’s Green Cities Initiative (GCI), which aims to build vibrant, inclusive and resilient places that are good for people and nature. Redesigning cities to be truly sustainable requires reimagining how we manage our spaces, produce our food and use our resources. This transformation can start with one fundamental element: healthy soils.