About this module
Level 1 taught you to make compost. Level 2 teaches you to make it in tonnes, prove it is good, and sell it.
Who it is for. People who have finished Composting and Circular Agriculture (Level 1), or who can show the same skills. National Proficiency II covers varied work, mostly routine, under limited supervision.
CTVET status. No CTVET composting programme was found. This module is not a CTVET curriculum. It follows CTVET's format so it can be put forward later.
Rule status. Ghana's Plants and Fertilizer Act 2010 (Act 803) controls fertiliser, and an organic-fertiliser guideline was mentioned in a 2026 report, and a UN Ghana report confirms that the Ministry of Food and Agriculture produced an Organic Fertilizer Guideline with UN support (FAO and WFP) and set up a National Technical Team on organic fertiliser. The Ghana Standards Authority page covers only the organic certification logo for produce, not fertiliser. Whether a small compost maker must register was not verified. Ask the Plant Protection and Regulatory Services Directorate (PPRSD) of MoFA before you sell. Ask PPRSD for a copy of the MoFA guideline too.
Bridge from Level 1: what you already know
- Gloves, boots and handwashing; what never goes in a heap (human waste, dead animals, meat, diseased plants)
- Greens and browns; carbon-to-nitrogen about 25–30 to 1; the squeeze test
- A 1 m³ hot heap; 55 °C for 3 days; the 18-day Berkeley turning plan
- Signs that compost is ready; worm bin with Eudrilus eugeniae; bokashi; the compost-tea warning
- About 1–2 kg of compost per square metre; a test plot
- Choosing a site; a price for a 25 kg bag; a WhatsApp catalogue
Level 1 did not cover large windrows or aerated piles, laboratory testing, black soldier flies, biochar, waste agreements, fertiliser rules, carbon credits or cooperatives. Level 2 covers all of these.
How the module works
Each unit has learning outcomes, performance criteria, the range and the evidence your assessor needs. You are judged Competent or Not Yet Competent. About 70% of the time is practical, following CTVET's Oil Palm programme split of about 30% school and 70% workplace.
Unit 1 · Safety and permits at scale
A big heap has bigger hazards: gas, fire, dust, and the law. Know them before you build.
Competency standard
| Learning outcome | Performance criteria — the trainee… |
|---|---|
| 1.1 Control hazards at scale | names the gas, fire, dust and germ hazards and a control for each |
| 1.2 Apply never-enter rules | refuses to enter tanks, pits and digesters |
| 1.3 Know the permits | explains the Act 1124 permit and Assembly bye-law checks |
Range. Windrow site; waste store; digester or tank (observe only). Evidence. Oral questions; site hazard sheet.
Gas, dust and germs
- Rotting waste with no air makes hydrogen sulfide. It smells of rotten eggs, but at high levels it knocks out your sense of smell, so a bad smell going "away" can be a warning, not good news. Ammonia is another gas given off by composting. It has a sharp smell and burns the eyes and lungs.
- Workers on compost sites can breathe in tiny germs and dust from the heap (bioaerosols). Many of these can cause asthma or lung illness. Wear a dust mask when turning dry, dusty compost and keep your face away from the plume when a hot heap is opened.
- Level 1 rules still apply: gloves, boots, soap and water, clean hands before eating.
Fire
Very large hot heaps can catch fire by themselves. Split very hot heaps, and check temperature and moisture often. Keep water and a hose near the site, keep dry browns away from the hottest heaps, and keep naked flames and burning rubbish away.
Never enter. Never rush in to rescue. Do not climb into a biodigester chamber, slurry pit, tank or sealed compost vessel. Gas can kill in seconds, and many deaths happen when a second person goes in to help (see the Workplace Safety Level 2 manual). Call 112 and keep everyone out. Nothing in this module asks you to enter one.
Snakes and pests
Snakes like warm heaps: make noise as you approach. Bury food waste inside the heap to keep rats and flies away.
The permit question
- The Environmental Protection Act 2025 (Act 1124) replaced the 1994 Act 490. It makes it an offence to run an undertaking without a valid environmental permit, with an expired one, or against its conditions. It was not verified whether a small farm compost heap needs a permit, but a compost yard that takes in waste from others very likely does. Ask the EPA Western Region office.
- Sekondi-Takoradi has waste bye-laws, with fines of GH¢300–1,000 reported for offenders. Ask the Assembly before you set up.
- Act 917 (the 2016 hazardous and electronic waste law) was consolidated into Act 1124. Do not take electronic waste, treated wood, paint or batteries into any heap.
What nobody has told you. The gas risk is highest when a heap or slurry goes anaerobic: too wet, too compacted, too much fresh food waste. A good compost maker watches for the smell as a quality-control tool, and keeps a rule that nobody works alone in the closed part of a site.
Site hazard walk
- Walk a real or model compost site with a checklist: gas, fire, dust, snakes, water, bin lids.
- Fill in a hazard sheet (hazard, who is at risk, control).
- Write the site rules on one page: PPE, handwashing, no one alone, never-enter, who to call.
- Role-play: a worker faints near a sealed tank. Nobody enters. What do you do?
Permit enquiry
Phone or visit the EPA Western Region office or the Assembly. Write down what they say a compost yard needs, with the date and the person's name.
Unit 2 · Scaling up: windrows and aerated piles
One heap makes a garden. Many heaps, in order, make a business.
Competency standard
| Learning outcome | Performance criteria — the trainee… |
|---|---|
| 2.1 Build a windrow | builds and turns a windrow with records |
| 2.2 Build an aerated static pile | builds a small pile with air pipes and records heat |
| 2.3 Plan the site and the flow | draws a receiving, mixing, composting, curing and bagging flow |
| 2.4 Work out batches | calculates volume, loads and cost |
Range. Windrow; aerated static pile; curing area. Evidence. Windrow records; pile records; site plan; batch sums.
Two main ways
| Turned windrow | Aerated static pile | |
|---|---|---|
| Heat rule for germs (US rule) | 55 °C or more for 15 days, with at least 5 turnings | 55 °C or more for 3 days |
| How air gets in | Turning with a fork, loader or tractor | Fan or chimney pushes air through pipes under the pile |
| Space | More | About one third of the space of a windrow in one US farm trial |
| Cost in that trial | Turning labour or machine | About US$1,000 of materials for a small system |
In that farm trial both systems sometimes heated unevenly: one pile reached 168 °F (about 75 °C) and some windrow areas stayed under 100 °F (about 38 °C), so measure in several places. Oxygen in a windrow starts to run out within hours of turning.
Building a windrow
A windrow is a long heap. At Level 1 you made a 1 m × 1 m × 1.5 m heap. Keep the same recipe and moisture rules (about 25–30 to 1; one or two drops from a squeezed handful). Make the row as long as you can turn and watch. Keep it under shade and on firm, sloping ground so water drains away from drinking water.
- Lay a base of coarse browns (palm fronds, sticks) for air.
- Build in layers, greens and browns, watering each layer.
- Push the thermometer into the middle, the sides and the ends; write the numbers.
- Turn on a plan. For the 15-day windrow rule: at least five turnings, with 55 °C or more for 15 days. Move the outside into the middle.
- Cure for some weeks before use.
Building a small aerated pile
Make a base of woodchip, brush or coarse browns. Lay perforated pipe on it, connected to a fan or a chimney. Build the pile over it with an insulating cover of finished compost or wood chips on top. The pile heats up fast, may need no turning, and needs about three days at 55 °C to treat germs. An FAO guide gives a starting design. Build the pile about 1.5–2.5 m high and about twice as wide as it is high. Run the perforated pipe lengthways under the top ridge, in a base of wood chips or chopped straw. Cap the pile with about 15 cm of finished compost. The fan can run all the time, or on a timer or a temperature switch. Active composting takes about three to five weeks. The FAO guide gives no fan size, and fan power and pipe sizes for Ghana were not verified: copy a tested design, test it small first and record everything.
In-vessel systems
Machines that compost inside closed drums or tunnels exist, but cost, power and safety rules were not verified for Ghana. This module does not teach them. A closed vessel is a confined space: see Unit 1.
Site flow
- Receiving: weigh or count loads; remove plastic and metal; record the source.
- Mixing: recipe card for each batch (greens, browns, water).
- Composting: numbered windrows; temperature sheet on a clipboard.
- Curing: a separate area for compost that has stopped heating.
- Screening and bagging: a sieve and a clean, covered table.
- Water and a drain: the run-off must not reach drinking water.
Batch sums
A cubic metre of heap is a block 1 m × 1 m × 1 m. A windrow 10 m long, 1.5 m wide and 1.2 m high holds about 10 × 1.5 × 1.2 = 18 m³ if you treat it as a block (a heap is rounder, so the true volume is less; use the block as an upper limit).
How many windrows?
Your yard receives 6 m³ of waste a week. Compost shrinks to about half the starting volume. (1) How many m³ of finished compost do you make a week? (2) If one windrow holds 12 m³ and takes 6 weeks to finish and cure, how many windrows must you run at the same time to keep up?
Windrow and pile
- Build a windrow at least 3 m long with the class recipe; measure temperature in three places daily.
- Turn it on the plan and record every turn.
- Build one small aerated pile (about 1 m³) with a chimney or fan; compare its heat with the windrow.
- Draw a site flow for a yard that handles 6 m³ of waste a week.
Heap diary, week by week
Keep temperature, smell and moisture records for both piles for three weeks. Which heated faster? Which was easier to run?
Unit 3 · Test your compost: quality and safety
A buyer cannot see germs or heavy metals. Tests show them. A test certificate sells compost.
Competency standard
| Learning outcome | Performance criteria — the trainee… |
|---|---|
| 3.1 Judge maturity | uses temperature, smell, cress test and lab numbers |
| 3.2 Check pH, salts and moisture | measures and records them |
| 3.3 Know the pathogen and metal limits | names the limits and what they protect |
| 3.4 Sample properly | takes a mixed sample for a lab |
Range. Finished compost from one batch. Evidence. Test records; sample jars; oral questions.
Maturity (is it ready?)
Level 1 gave you the field signs: dark, crumbly, earthy, half the volume, no more heat. At Level 2 you add tests:
- Cress bioassay. Sow cress seed in a mix of compost and soil and in plain soil. Immature compost holds chemicals that harm seedlings, so cress in it sprouts badly. The test is a screen and should not be the only test.
- C:N ratio. Labs report it. One lab-report example treated a ratio below about 14 as mature. In the US, Clemson University's lab guide gives 10–15 to 1 for finished compost. It says compost above 30 to 1 is likely to lock up nitrogen in the soil, and compost below 20 to 1 gives nitrogen to plants. Ghana has no published target, so use these as a guide. Ask the lab and the buyer.
- Stability tests such as Solvita measure how much carbon dioxide the compost still gives off, and are used to judge maturity of compost for sale.
pH and salts
Most plants prefer compost with a pH between 6.0 and 8.0, and finished compost is usually between 5.0 and 8.5. Salt level is read as electrical conductivity (EC); compost often ranges from 1 to 10 mmhos/cm, and high salt can harm seedlings. Poultry manure and some food waste make compost salty: do the cress test before selling to a nursery.
Moisture
Compost for sale should be damp but not dripping, close to the 50–60% of the squeeze test. Too wet and it stinks and is heavy to carry; too dry and it is dusty.
Pathogens
The US rule for treated sewage sludge (a stricter product, used here only as a yardstick) asks for less than 1,000 faecal coliform per gram (dry weight) or less than 3 Salmonella per 4 grams (dry weight). For compost sold as a soil improver in the European Union, the EU fertilising products rule asks for no Salmonella in a 25 g sample and no more than 1,000 E. coli (or enterococci) per gram. EU compost must also be heated for long enough, for example 55 °C or more for at least 14 days, or 65 °C or more for at least 5 days, with regular turning or forced air. Ghana's own limits for compost were not found, so use the EU figures as a guide, not as Ghana law. Ask GSA or the PPRSD which limits apply.
Heavy metals
The same US rule gives upper limits for metals in mg per kg (dry weight). For example, cadmium 39, lead 300, mercury 17, arsenic 41, copper 1,500, zinc 2,800, nickel 420 (monthly-average limits). Their "ceiling" values are higher (for example lead 840, cadmium 85). These are US figures, not Ghana limits. The EU limits for compost sold as a soil improver are much stricter: cadmium 2, lead 120, mercury 1, nickel 50, copper 300 and zinc 800 mg per kg of dry matter. If you hope to sell to big buyers, aim for the stricter figures. Metals come from paint, batteries, treated wood and some industrial waste. Keeping those out of the heap is the cheapest control.
Where to test
CSIR-Soil Research Institute offers laboratory analytical services. Whether it tests compost for pathogens and metals, and its fees, were not verified: ask them, a university lab or the GSA.
Taking a sample
Take small amounts from at least ten spots through the heap, mix them in a clean bucket, and fill a clean jar. Label it with the date, batch number and heap. Keep a duplicate. Ask the lab how much, how cold and how fast it must reach them.
What nobody has told you. A compost that passes a pH test can still carry germs or metals, and a compost that is heavy with metals can still look perfect. The only protection is to know what went into it. A record of every load (what, where from) is a quality tool.
Test a batch
- Do the cress test on two compost samples; one finished, one young heap. Compare after 7–10 days.
- Measure moisture by squeeze test and pH by strip or meter.
- Take a lab sample with a label and a duplicate.
- Fill in a test record: batch, date, results, what you will do if a result is bad.
Phone a lab
Phone or visit one lab. Ask what tests they run on compost, the cost and the time. Write down the answers.
Unit 4 · Worms, flies, bokashi and liquids
Bigger piles use microbes. Bins use worms and flies. Each gives a different product.
Competency standard
| Learning outcome | Performance criteria — the trainee… |
|---|---|
| 4.1 Scale vermicomposting | runs a worm bed with records and harvests |
| 4.2 Know black soldier flies | explains the larvae system and what it makes |
| 4.3 Use bokashi well | uses it as a pre-treatment, not a finished product |
| 4.4 Make and use liquids safely | dilutes, labels and avoids unsafe teas |
Range. Worm beds; BSF bin (observe or run); bokashi bucket; liquid feeds. Evidence. Records; samples; oral questions.
Worm beds
Eudrilus eugeniae works well in Ghana. It likes about 25 °C, dies below about 9 °C or above about 35 °C, and likes 65–75% moisture. Worm beds stay cool, so they cannot be used to treat raw manure for germs. Pre-compost manure and food waste in a hot heap first, then feed it to worms.
Black soldier fly larvae (BSF)
BSF larvae eat food waste fast. In a project in Ghana (Ento-Prise) they were used to turn fruit and vegetable waste into feed and compost. Larvae grown on food waste can become poultry and fish feed, and their droppings can become fertiliser. One Ghana farm reported BSF meal at about GH¢6 per kg. A survey of farmers in Ghana found that awareness of BSF was very low. That means: teach before you sell.
Safety rules for BSF. Do not use human waste or meat from unknown sources, and do not feed larvae meant for animals on contaminated material. In the European Union, insects farmed for feed protein, including black soldier fly, may be fed only plant material or a few approved animal products; manure, catering (kitchen) waste and other waste are banned as their feed. Rules for insect feed in Ghana were not verified, so use the EU rule as a safe guide and ask the Veterinary Services Directorate and PPRSD before selling larvae or feed.
Bokashi
Bokashi is food waste fermented in a sealed bucket for at least two weeks until it smells pickled. The result must still be buried or composted.
Liquids: what is safe
- Worm-bin run-off (leachate) can carry germs and, from a young or overfed bin, harmful compounds. It is usually diluted (one common guide says about 1 part leachate to 9 parts water) and used on soil, not sprayed on leaves you eat.
- Compost tea brewed with sugar or molasses has been found to grow E. coli and Salmonella. Do not spray on leaves people eat.
- Biogas slurry keeps most of the manure's nutrients and can go on crops or into compost.
- Rabbit urine is sold as a liquid organic fertiliser at about GH¢20–40, mostly in Greater Accra. Its quality and safety were not verified.
Liquid fertilisers need labels. If you sell a liquid, label it with what it is made from, how to dilute it, the date and "for soil use, wash vegetables". Whether you must register it under Act 803 was not verified: ask PPRSD.
Beds, flies and liquids
- Feed a worm bed with pre-composted waste for two weeks; record weight fed, moisture and temperature.
- Harvest worm compost and weigh it; compare weight in and weight out.
- If a BSF bin is available, watch a feeding and write the steps. If not, make a drawing.
- Make a bokashi bucket and bury the result in a heap; record the dates.
- Write a label for a diluted liquid feed.
Worm count
Weigh the worms in a handful every week. Are they growing? Write your result in the logbook.
Unit 5 · Biochar and the circular farm
Charcoal in the soil lasts. Waste from the animal house feeds the crop. Draw the whole farm as one machine.
Competency standard
| Learning outcome | Performance criteria — the trainee… |
|---|---|
| 5.1 Explain biochar | says what biochar is and how it helps soil |
| 5.2 Make biochar safely | follows safe steps in a kiln or drum with an adult |
| 5.3 Design a circular farm | draws links between crops, livestock, biogas, insects, fish and compost |
| 5.4 Plant for soil health | names cover crops, trees and mulch to protect soil |
Range. Small kiln or drum; farm drawing. Evidence. Biochar record; farm design; oral questions.
Biochar
Biochar is charcoal made from plant waste by heating with very little air. It improves soil structure, water holding and nutrient holding, and gives microbes a home. One small-scale guide says to dry the waste to under 20% moisture, heat it at about 300–450 °C for 3–6 hours in an open, safe place, then cool and moisten it to reduce dust. Quench with water, then mix it with compost or a liquid feed before it goes on the soil.
Biochar safety. A hot kiln and charred wood can burn badly or reignite. Work outdoors, away from roofs and dry leaves, with water and a trained adult. Wear leather gloves, goggles and a dust mask for grinding charcoal. Do not breathe the smoke. Application rates for Ghanaian soils were not verified. In the US, the Biochar Initiative says field rates of 1–10 tons per acre have helped in many studies, with 1 to 3 tons per acre (about 0.2–0.7 kg per m²) as a starting point, and 5–25% by volume in pots and planting holes. Use a small test plot first.
The circular farm
- Crops give residues and food waste. Livestock turn some of them into manure.
- Compost takes crop residue and pre-treated manure.
- Biodigester takes manure and gives gas and slurry.
- BSF larvae take food waste and give feed and fertiliser.
- Fish can eat larvae; pond mud can go back to crops (not verified for Ghana).
- Biochar locks carbon in the soil and holds nutrients.
- Waste in from others (markets, restaurants, sawmills) adds free feedstock (Unit 6).
Ghana already has examples: a co-composting plant at Tema made a fertiliser called Fortifer, and Accra's ACARP plant makes compost and liquid compost.
Planting for soil health
Compost and biochar help only if the soil is covered and rooted. Keep soil under mulch or a living crop. Plant a legume cover crop between main crops, and keep trees on field edges. Cover-crop species, seed rates and nitrogen gains for Western Region were not verified: ask the Agricultural Extension Agent.
Trial rate
In Ghana tomato trials, 10 t/ha of compost improved soil carbon and structure, and 20 t/ha gave the most fruit. That is about 1 to 2 kg per m².
What nobody has told you. A circular farm is only as safe as its weakest link. Raw manure, slurry and compost tea are all routes for germs to reach leafy vegetables. Treat first (heat, time, dilution) and apply to soil, not leaves.
Make and design
- With a trained adult, make a small batch of biochar in a drum or kiln outdoors. Record feedstock, dry weight in, char weight out and how it was cooled.
- Quench it, crush it and mix it with finished compost (about one part char to three to five parts compost is a common starting mix. The US Biochar Initiative says to let biochar soak up compost, manure or urine for 1–3 weeks before use. No Ghana figure was found, so test it small).
- Draw a circular farm for a one-acre mixed farm. Mark each flow of waste and each product.
- Plan a test plot with three beds: compost only, compost plus char, nothing.
Ask a farmer
Ask a farmer about their biggest soil problem, and which of the five tools in this unit could help.
Unit 6 · Waste agreements, rules, price and carbon
Free waste in, safe compost out, paid for by a buyer who trusts you. That is the chain. Every link needs a rule or an agreement.
Competency standard
| Learning outcome | Performance criteria — the trainee… |
|---|---|
| 6.1 Source waste | writes a simple waste-supply agreement |
| 6.2 Know the fertiliser rules | explains Act 803 and the GSA organic guideline, and who to ask |
| 6.3 Package and price | labels, bags and prices compost per bag and per tonne |
| 6.4 Know carbon credits | explains what they are and why a small yard cannot claim them alone |
Range. Waste sources; compost products. Evidence. Agreement; label; price sheet; oral questions.
Waste-to-value sourcing
About 60% of waste in the Takoradi Sub-Metro is organic, and most is suitable for composting. Possible suppliers:
- Markets (fruit and vegetable waste, with plastic removed at source)
- Restaurants and chop bars (food waste, in covered buckets)
- Sawmills and carpenters (sawdust, for browns)
- Farms and poultry (manure, to be pre-composted)
- Abattoirs (blood and rumen contents) have been studied as fertiliser in Ghana, with composting trials at KNUST, but this is a higher-risk feed that needs treatment, control and permits: not recommended at this level
- Municipal waste: Zoomlion and the Assembly handle town waste. A 400-tonne-a-day recycling and composting plant was planned at Asaakae in Effia-Kwesimintsim, with ground broken around 2020. Whether it runs now, and whether it sells waste or compost to small makers, was not verified. Ask STMA Waste Management.
A simple agreement (put it in writing and keep a copy):
- Who gives the waste and who collects it; days and times
- What is allowed in the bucket, and what is not (plastic, glass, meat, bones, oil, medical waste)
- Who supplies the buckets and who cleans them
- What happens if a load is contaminated (you refuse it and tell them)
- Whether any money changes hands, in either direction
- Start date and a review date; both sign
Fertiliser rules (Act 803 and the GSA guideline)
- The Plants and Fertilizer Act 2010 (Act 803) has 124 sections in five parts, including a part on fertiliser control, and sets up the Plant Protection and Regulatory Services Directorate and a Pesticide and Fertilizer Regulatory Division. I did not read the full text and no section numbers are given here.
- A 2020 news report quoted a witness saying the Act and its regulations set out how to register fertiliser products. The registration period is two years, renewable.
- In June 2026 the Ghana Standards Authority launched an organic certification scheme for produce. That GSA scheme is for produce, not fertiliser. The organic-fertiliser guideline is MoFA's: the Ministry produced it with UN support. What it requires (tests, limits, registration steps) was not read. Ask PPRSD for a copy.
- Your steps: (1) phone PPRSD and ask if your compost needs registration; (2) ask PPRSD for MoFA's organic-fertiliser guideline; (3) get a lab test (Unit 3); (4) keep batch and sales records; (5) label honestly.
Bagging, branding and labels
In northern Ghana, farmers said they would pay more for compost that is branded and labelled, pelleted or delivered. A search summary of that study gave amounts per 50 kg bag of about GH¢9.43 more for a brand and label, GH¢5.76 for pellets and GH¢4.49 for delivery; these figures are not verified and are not from Western Region. A label should show: product name, batch number, date made, weight, what it is made from, how to use it, your name and phone, and "keep away from children". Do not write "certified" or "organic" unless you hold the certificate.
Price: per bag and per tonne
Advertised prices on Jiji Ghana, 7 October 2026 (asking prices, mostly Greater Accra, Western Region not checked):
| Product | Advertised price |
|---|---|
| Organic compost, 25 kg bag | GH¢80 |
| Multipurpose organic fertiliser | GH¢85–100 |
| Poultry manure | GH¢25 (unit not shown) |
| Rabbit manure | GH¢12–25 |
| Palm kernel cake | GH¢100 |
At GH¢80 for 25 kg, a tonne (40 bags) would be GH¢3,200 at the bag price. Bulk buyers pay less per kg. Bulk Ghana prices per tonne were not found.
Price a tonne
Costs for 1 tonne (40 bags of 25 kg): feedstock and sawdust GH¢120; labour for building, turning, screening GH¢600; water and fuel GH¢80; test and records GH¢100; bags and labels 40 × GH¢5; transport GH¢150. (1) Total cost per tonne? (2) Cost per 25 kg bag? (3) Selling price per bag for a 35% margin on price? (4) Compare with GH¢80. Example figures only.
Carbon credits: what is real
Composting can cut methane that would come from waste rotting without air in a dump. The Gold Standard published a methodology in 2024 for carbon credits from processing organic waste in small, decentralised sites instead of landfill. A small compost project in Nepal registered as a micro-scale project under the Gold Standard. No Ghanaian small composter has been found earning credits, and costs of registering and checking were not verified. Treat carbon money as a possible extra for a large group, not as income to count on.
Agreement and label
- Write a waste-supply agreement for one real or pretend supplier (a market stall, a chop bar or a sawmill).
- Design a label for a 25 kg bag with all the items listed above.
- Fill a price sheet: cost, price per bag and per tonne, margin.
- Role-play a phone call to PPRSD: what you ask, what you write down.
Waste sources
List five places within 5 km of your site that throw away organic waste. For each one: how much, how often, who to ask.
Unit 7 · Location, business, marketing and cooperatives
A good site, a clear product and a trusted name beat a big heap.
Competency standard
| Learning outcome | Performance criteria — the trainee… |
|---|---|
| 7.1 Choose a location that pays | scores two sites on waste, buyers, space, water and rules |
| 7.2 Plan products and income | plans at least four products or services |
| 7.3 Market yourself | sets up WhatsApp Business, Google Business Profile and a portfolio |
| 7.4 Work in a group | explains how a cooperative works |
Range. A real or planned compost business. Evidence. Site score sheet; business plan; marketing pack.
Location settings that give good returns
- Near a market or chop-bar cluster with steady organic waste, but away from houses and drinking water
- Near farms, nurseries and gardens that buy compost; near cocoa, oil palm and vegetable areas of Western Region (buyer demand there not verified)
- Near a sawmill for browns, and on a road a truck can use all year
- On firm, sloping, shaded land with a water source
- Within STMA or district bye-laws, and with a permit where required (Unit 1)
- Near a school or youth group that wants training
Income ideas and ingenuity
- Bagged compost in 5 kg (gardens), 25 kg (farms) and bulk loads
- Potting mix for nurseries (compost, sand, char)
- Worm compost and live worms, sold with a one-page care sheet
- BSF larvae and frass for poultry and fish farmers, once rules are checked
- Biochar-compost blends, as a premium product after a test plot
- Waste collection fees from hotels, markets and offices
- Compost-making training for schools and farmers
- Farm-gate delivery by motor tricycle
Market yourself
- Put a clear name, photo of your product, location, prices and delivery area on WhatsApp Business, which has a business profile and automatic greeting and away messages. Keep a catalogue of products with prices.
- Set up a free Google Business Profile so people searching nearby find you. Verification can be by phone, email, video call or postcard (about 14 days).
- Put your name, phone and "compost, worms, training" on a sign at the gate and on every bag.
- Keep a portfolio: test-plot photos with permission, lab results, customers' words, dates.
- Ask for referrals: give a free sample bag to each new nursery or farm.
- Show the numbers: yield with compost against yield without it (Unit 5).
- Never claim "certified", "organic" or a test result you do not hold.
Working as a group: cooperatives
A cooperative lets farmers or waste-pickers share equipment, buy in bulk and sell together. In Ghana cooperatives are run through the Department of Cooperatives, using the older NLCD 252 framework, with bye-laws filed with the Registrar of Cooperative Societies. Whether newer legislation now applies was not verified. Registration steps seen include training on governance, bye-laws and inspection. Ask the Western Regional office of the Department of Cooperatives.
Accessibility
Persons with disabilities can run every part of this business with the right set-up. Give a seated work table for sieving and bagging; keep paths firm and flat; use picture and colour-coded labels for workers who cannot read; use written and sign-language briefings for deaf workers; give clear touch and sound signals in the yard. Ghana's Persons with Disability Act 2006 requires accessible public places and bans job discrimination. The District Assemblies Common Fund has a disability share (reported as rising to 5% in 2026; not verified): ask your Assembly about support for tools or training.
First-year plan
You make 3 tonnes of compost a month and sell 75% at the bag price from your Unit 6 sheet (GH¢48 per 25 kg bag). Fixed costs per month: rent of land GH¢300, phone and data GH¢60, a part-time helper GH¢400. (1) Bags sold per month? (2) Income? (3) Cost of making 3 tonnes at GH¢1,250 per tonne, plus fixed costs? (4) Profit or loss per month? Use example figures only.
Business pack
- Score two possible sites with the location list.
- Write a one-page business plan: products, price, location, advertising, licences and permits to check.
- Set up (or draw) a WhatsApp Business profile and a Google Business Profile.
- Build a portfolio page with one test result, one photo and one customer comment.
- Present your plan to the class in five minutes.
Sample drop
Give a sample bag to one nursery or farm and ask for written feedback.
Glossary
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Aerated static pile | A compost pile with air pushed through pipes beneath it |
| Biochar | Charcoal made from plant waste for use in soil |
| Bioassay | A test that grows seeds in compost to see if they are harmed |
| BSF | Black soldier fly; its larvae eat waste fast |
| C:N ratio | Balance of carbon to nitrogen |
| Competent / Not Yet Competent | The two possible results of a CBT assessment |
| Conductivity (EC) | A measure of salt in compost |
| Curing | Rest time after heating, before compost is used |
| Frass | The droppings of larvae |
| Hydrogen sulfide | A poisonous rotten-egg gas from waste with no air |
| Leachate | Liquid draining from a heap or bin |
| Pathogen | A germ that can cause disease |
| Vermiwash | Liquid collected from worm beds |
| Windrow | A long compost heap, turned for air |
Logbook
Copy these pages into an exercise book. Your logbook is part of your assessment evidence.
- Unit 1: site hazard sheet; permit enquiry note
- Unit 2: windrow and pile temperature and turning records; site flow; batch sums
- Unit 3: cress test; pH and moisture results; sample label; lab enquiry
- Unit 4: worm bed records; bokashi record; liquid label
- Unit 5: biochar record; circular farm design; test plot plan
- Unit 6: waste agreement; label; price sheet; PPRSD call notes
- Unit 7: site scores; business plan; WhatsApp and Google profiles; portfolio
- Every homework, dated
Self-check quiz
- Why must you never enter a digester or sealed tank, even to rescue someone?
- Why can a bad smell going away be dangerous near rotting waste?
- What heat rule applies to a turned windrow, and to an aerated static pile?
- Name two checks you can do at the heap to judge if compost is mature.
- What pH range do most plants prefer in compost?
- Why keep paint, batteries and treated wood out of a heap?
- Why do we pre-compost manure before giving it to worms?
- What is biochar, and what must you do before using it on soil?
- Name three things a waste-supply agreement should say.
- Which Act controls fertiliser in Ghana, and who do you ask about registering compost?
- A tonne of compost costs GH¢1,250 to make. What does one 25 kg bag cost?
- Why must you not call your compost "certified" without a certificate?
Further reading and sources
Best next reads: the Hub's Bio Digester, Waste Recycling, Vegetable Production and Workplace Safety Level 2 manuals; FAO's 10 elements of agroecology; the GSA and PPRSD websites.
What this module does not cover: in-vessel composting machines, co-composting human waste, abattoir composting, certified organic production, biodigester building, aquaculture design, and Western Region compost prices (not found; check locally).
Every source used in this manual is listed, with links, in the Teacher Copy.