Human Pee is Liquid Gold: The Untapped Alternative to the Highly Hazardous Pesticides

Since ancient times, human urine has been utilized as a great source of many nutrients to promote the plant growth, particularly green vegetables and is widely accessible and can be obtained for little to no cost. A valuable but underutilized resource for plant fertilization and pesticide control, human urine has been used in agriculture, particularly in subsistence farming systems throughout Africa.

While human urine contains significant amounts of major plant fertilizing minerals, it also contains relatively low levels of pathogens. This suggests that human urine could be used as a liquid fertilizer and pesticide due to its high nutrient content and low pathogen content. This lessens the dependence of farmers on chemical fertilizers and Highly Hazardous Pesticides.

Small-scale farmers in Mukono district concur that human urine contains a wealth of essential nutrients, such as potassium, phosphorus, and nitrogen, that are beneficial for plant growth. As urine ferments, nutrients are released that are easily absorbed by plants. In the urine, this mechanism breaks down the organic molecules. In order to improve soil fertility and encourage healthy plant growth, fermented urine can be utilized as a beneficial and natural fertilizer and pesticide.

According to Wali Christopher, a small-scale farmer and a former extension worker, urine improves soil health when it is administered because it increases nutrient availability and improves soil water retention. He adds that fermented urine contains 95% water which helps the soil to stay moist and endure dry seasons as well.  He adds that healthy soils are more resistant to disease, drought, and erosion, promoting long-term agricultural output because the soil stays healthy for a long period unlike where conventional methods are used and deplete the soil because they use hazardous pesticides that kill species vital to the health of the soil.

The use of human urine as a fertilizer and pesticide has proved to have various benefits to small-scale farmers. Farmers agree that human urine is cost-effective, freely available and reduces dependency on Highly hazardous pesticides and commercial fertilizers. It further reduces waste, minimizes water pollution, and lowers the carbon footprint of fertilizer production while improving soil fertility and microbial activity, promoting healthier plant growth and increasing crop yields.

According to Kezia Nassozi, a small-scale farmer in Kisoga Town Council, Mukono district, she discovered that fermented human urine together with ash and garlic is a good pesticide in her garden. She applies this on her matooke plantation and brags about eating purely organic matooke. Kezia Nassozi adds that they minimize their exposure to Highly Hazardous Pesticides which have deeply affected the health of her fellow farmers who occasionally complain of chest and body pains due to the use of these dangerous pesticides.

They have also realized higher yields of at least an increase of 20kg of coffee and 5 extra clusters of vegetables as well as bigger and healthier banana plants compared to those that use the chemical pesticides. “My maize yield increased ever since I started using human urine and this is majorly because the Highly Hazardous Pesticides I was using before were deteriorating the fertility of my soil. Even the size of the maize cobs would very small but with the use of the human urine there is a very great change.” – Kezia Nassozi

Irene Nakijoba mentions that her produce from maize has significantly changed ever since she started using human urine on her plants. While still using the chemical fertilizers and Highly hazardous pesticides, she used to get about 3 bags of maize from the garden but with applying the human urine on the maize, she can now harvest at least 5 bags of maize due to the decrease in pest infestation that are controlled by the repelling effect of human urine.

The use of human urine not only encourages the use of traditional knowledge and use of locally available products but also promotes of ease to learn methods for small-scale farmers. “Traditionally, our parents used the locally available materials for fertilizers and pesticides and they lived for quite a long time. We can only preserve such practices to keep the heritage of our parents through passing them to our children as well.” – Irene Nakijoba. Irene adds that preservation of indigenous varieties of plants can only be maintained using Agroecological practices like use of human urine and ash.

In an exclusive interview with ESAFF Uganda, Bernard Bwambale from the food safety coalition called on small-scale farmers to start adopting the use of environmentally friendly approaches of pest control such as the use of human urine. He noted that the farmers also need to be empowered with knowledge on the dangers associated with the use of Highly Hazardous Pesticides such as gene mutation, cancers and many respiratory diseases.

ESAFF Uganda believes that if small-scale farmers use human urine as a pesticide and component of fertilizers, they will reduce pest infestation and increase yields and income from their produce. ESAFF Uganda urges policymakers to integrate the use of human urine as a fertilizer and pesticide into agricultural policies for a sustainable future. Government should further promote research and invest in studies on urine’s effectiveness and establish guidelines for safe collection, storage, and application in order to enhance food security while banning the use and importation of chemical fertilizers and Highly Hazardous Pesticides.

Learn how to use human urine as a pesticide and fertilizer:

Human Pee is Liquid Gold.pdf

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