Vermicomposting as an alternative to boost urban agricultura

Abstract

The consumption of natural resources is constantly growing as the human population increases, which translates into a disproportionate increase in the generation of urban solid waste. Vermicomposting is a low-cost eco-technological process that allows the bio-oxidation, degradation and stabilization of organic waste. Recycling organic waste to produce vermicompost can benefit both consumers and the environment, thus paving the way towards a more sustainable agriculture for the future. The objective of this work was to review general aspects of vermicomposting in order to use this technique in the treatment of organic solid wastes to enhance urban agriculture from a review of works on the subject. A review of 99 papers published between 2000 and 2022 was carried out. These were retrieved from Google Scholar. The keywords used were: urban agriculture, vermicomposting, earthworm humus, vermiculture. Vermicomposting is a technique by which earthworms feed on organic solid waste and then transform it into vermicompost, highlighting the participation of the earthworm in this process as opposed to a normal composting process. Therefore, this technique could be adequate to recycle solid waste of organic origin in cities, in addition to the vermicompost or worm humus that is a product of this process that guarantees the sustainability of urban agriculture.