Banana Peels as Feed and Organic Resource

From Waste to Resource

The utilization of banana and plantain peels presents a valuable opportunity to minimize waste while providing an organic resource with diverse applications. These peels, whether used as animal feed, organic soil input, or ingredients in cooking and various products, offer a sustainable solution to the disposal of fruit peels. Proper processing, such as sun drying, detoxifies the peels, making them suitable for animal consumption, and the high starch content makes them a valuable energy source. Harnessing the potential of these peels contributes to both resource efficiency and waste reduction in regions where plantains and cooking bananas are staples.

This technology is TAAT1 validated.

7•8

Scaling readiness: idea maturity 7/9; level of use 8/9

The poor: Positive medium

Under 18: Positive medium

Women: Positive medium

Climate adaptability: Highly adaptable

Farmer climate change readiness: Significant improvement

Biodiversity: Positive impact on biodiversity

Carbon footprint: A bit less carbon released

Environmental health: Greatly improves environmental health

Soil quality: Does not affect soil health and fertility

Water use: A bit less water used

Problem

Waste Accumulation: Banana and plantain peels are abundant due to their staple status, leading to massive waste accumulation, especially in urban areas.
Feed Quality Concerns: Concerns exist regarding the chemical composition and nutrient ratios of peels when used as animal feed, particularly regarding tannins and oxalates, which can have deleterious effects on animals.
Feed Processing Challenges: Green banana and plantain peels are difficult to remove, requiring specialized machinery, and raw peels may contain anti-nutritional compounds that need to be detoxified through processes like sun drying, fermentation, or treatment with alkali.
Nutritional Value Variation: The nutritional composition of peels varies with ripeness, with unripe peels containing more starch and ripe peels having higher potassium content. Additionally, the crude protein content of banana peels is low, necessitating supplementation for optimal animal performance.
Utilization Challenges: Lack of understanding about the value and processing of peels results in their wasteful accumulation, highlighting the need for awareness and education on their diverse applications.
Processing Methods: Various processing methods, such as sun drying, silage making, and composting, are required to detoxify peels for animal consumption and maximize their utility as organic resources.

Solution

Animal Feed: They serve as valuable components in animal diets, particularly for livestock and poultry.
Nutrient-Rich: Dried peels contain essential nutrients such as potassium, phosphorus, iron, calcium, magnesium, and sodium.
Reduced Waste: Utilizing peels reduces waste and promotes sustainable resource management.
Soil Enrichment: When treated and composted, they become a beneficial organic input for soil improvement.
Energy Source: Green peels provide an energy source in animal diets due to their carbohydrate content.
Hydration: Fresh peels have high moisture content, helping animals stay hydrated.
Versatility: In smaller quantities, peels find use in cooking, water purification, and manufacturing beauty and health products.
Waste Reduction: Leveraging peels comprehensively can reduce waste accumulation in regions where bananas and plantains are staples.

Key points to design your project

This technology utilizes banana and plantain peels as animal feed, contributing to food security and sustainable resource management. Composting these peels enhances soil health, aids in carbon sequestration, and fosters climate resilience, all while reducing waste and promoting sustainable land use practices.

To integrate this technology into your project, consider the following steps and prerequisites:

Understand the correlation between nutrient composition, maturity stage, and cultivar.
Acquire suitable machinery, arrange site construction, and provide staff training.
Market the product to animal feed mills and livestock producers, emphasizing the benefits of local utilization of peels in livestock feeds.
Allocate resources for comprehensive training and ongoing support during project implementation.

Collaborate with manufacturers of peeler equipment to obtain the necessary machinery. Regarding cost, a single belt peeler capable of handling 600 units per hour costs approximately $3500, while larger multi-channel machines are priced at $16,000.

Considering the technology's availability in various countries across West, East, and Central Africa, factor in delivery costs for the machinery.

Partner with agricultural development institutions to facilitate widespread adoption of the technology.

Cost: $$$ 3,500 USD

A single belt 0.37 kWatt peeler

16,000 USD

Larger multi-channel 2.0 kWatt machines

IP

Open source / open access

Countries with a green colour: Tested & adopted
Countries with a bright green colour: Adopted
Countries with a yellow colour: Tested

Countries where the technology has been tested and adopted
Country	Tested	Adopted
Benin	Tested	Adopted
Burkina Faso	Tested	Adopted
Burundi	Tested	Adopted
Cameroon	Tested	Adopted
Côte d’Ivoire	Tested	Adopted
Democratic Republic of the Congo	Tested	Adopted
Equatorial Guinea	Tested	Adopted
Ethiopia	Tested	Adopted
Ghana	Tested	Adopted
Kenya	Tested	Adopted
Malawi	Tested	Adopted
Mali	Tested	Adopted
Nigeria	Tested	Adopted
Rwanda	Tested	Adopted
Sierra Leone	Tested	Adopted
Somalia	Tested	Adopted
Tanzania	Tested	Adopted
Togo	Tested	Adopted
Uganda	Tested	Adopted
Zambia	Tested	Adopted

This technology can be used in the colored agro-ecological zones. Any zones shown in white are not suitable for this technology.

Agro-ecological zones where this technology can be used
AEZ	Subtropic - warm	Subtropic - cool	Tropic - warm	Tropic - cool
Arid	–	–	–	–
Semiarid	–		–
Subhumid	–		–
Humid

Source: HarvestChoice/IFPRI 2009

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals that are applicable to this technology.

Goal 2: zero hunger

Goal 12: responsible production and consumption

Goal 13: climate action

Goal 15: life on land

To prepare silage and compost from banana and plantain peels, follow these steps:

1. Chopping: Begin by chopping the peels into smaller pieces for efficient processing. Although not required, it aids in the decomposition process.

2. Silage Preparation

Pack the chopped peels into airtight storage containers.
Optionally, add energy-rich materials like molasses to enhance the fermentation process.
Ensure the containers are sealed airtight to create an oxygen-free environment.
Allow the ensiling process to take place. Without additives, it typically takes around 28 days, but the addition of sugar can reduce this to 24 days.

3. Composting:

Combine the peels with other compost ingredients for optimal results. Chopping the peels is not necessary.
Banana peels are well-suited for vermicomposting with earthworms but should not be combined with poultry manure.
Composting typically takes 3 to 4 weeks under ideal conditions.

4. Drying: Composts prepared from peels are best dried before use.

5. Utilization: Use the dried compost as mulch for agricultural purposes.

Last updated on 2 October 2024