AKTI is participating in a bicommunal project focused on the utilisation of green waste in agriculture.
A New European Circular Economy Initiative
The project, titled ALL4Compost, is a new European initiative promoting the circular use of agricultural prunings and livestock waste, while also strengthening civil society involvement.
According to a press release, the project is launching in the Lefke area, with the Chamber of Agricultural Engineers acting as lead partner, alongside the AKTI Research and Study Centre and the Lefke Society for the Preservation of the Environment and Ecology.
EU Funding and Project Vision
ALL4Compost is funded by the European Union under the Aid Programme for the Turkish Cypriot community. The project aims to introduce “an innovative, economically viable, participatory and locally adapted model for the management of agricultural prunings and compost production, based on the active involvement of civil society,” the press release states.
Building a ‘Compost Community’ in Lefke
At the core of the initiative is the creation of a “Compost Community” in the occupied area of Lefke. The project seeks to bring together farmers, local authorities, organisations and citizens to jointly design and co-own a functional system for collecting agricultural prunings and converting them into high-quality, low-cost compost.
Farmers will supply their organic residues and, in return, receive ready-to-use compost, reducing production costs while actively contributing to a lower environmental footprint.
AKTI’s Role and Expertise
Drawing on its experience in the co-management of green waste and bicommunal cooperation, AKTI will transfer its expertise to the Turkish Cypriot community. Its contribution will focus on project design, technical guidance and adapting the model to local conditions.
Addressing Environmental Challenges
As highlighted in the press release, the Lefke area, despite its long agricultural history, faces acute environmental challenges, including the accumulation of green waste, the burning of prunings and soil degradation.
“All4Compost provides a practical, low-cost and socially fair solution,” the statement notes, through the Symbiotic and Circular Green Waste Management Scheme — a model already adopted as an innovation by European projects implemented in Cyprus.