We provide coffee waste to mushroom producers as a substrate on which they grow their product, and then and use compost made from the spent substrate to produce our biofertilizer.

The coffee production generates large volumes of waste, which have the potential to cause soil and water pollution and  contribute to loss of biodiversity. We use coffee husks as a substrate for the production of the edible mushroom Pleurotus pulmonarius, a high protein content product (17.8% ± 0.84%). The spent mushroom substrate (SMS) resulting from fungus production showed a decrease in lignin (49.7% ± 12%), cellulose (33.7% ± 10.8%), and phenolic compound (87% ± 2%) content, which avoids contamination of soil and water bodies by them. Since the SMS still contains N (2.45%), P (0.20%), K (0.112%), Ca (0.320%), and Mg (0.106%), it can be used as a raw material for production of biofertilizer. This model reduces the environmental impact of the byproducts generated by small coffee growers and constitutes an alternative to combat hunger in rural communities and to achieve the sustainable development goal of zero hunger.

Overall, recycling agricultural waste into biofertilizer using solar energy offers a sustainable and economically viable solution for enhancing soil health, reducing environmental impact, and promoting sustainable agriculture.