Animal waste products from cows and goats, and vegetable waste products such as corn husks, vegetable scraps are used to make organic fertilizers and methane gas for cooking. With the assistance of the environmental recycling/conservation frameworks from previous projects in Asia, similar bio-digesters were put in place in Cochamarca.
At first, the villagers were a bit apprehensive about what to do with a bio-digester, Once they were use to the idea of a bio-digester, they offered their help to put it into place. The villagers were sure to handlie the bio-digester very carefully.



1.　First, vegetable scraps were collected to make compost.

2. Vegetable and animal waste products were layered separately in the bio-digester before the production began.


3. The waste products were chopped finely to become the raw materials of the compost. Raw materials were mixed with corn husks. The resulting compost is rich nitrogen.

4. This is Mr. Callanaupa who was involved in the construction of the bio-digester. With the help of the young people in the village, they were able to build the bio-digesters in a short period of time.

5. Out of the little door in the bottom left, a solid piece of fertilizer will come out.
6. The villagers loading the bio-digester with the raw materials.

7. The compost is allowed to ferment for about a month in the bio-digester. By September 9, 2004, the compost has turned into liquid fertilizer.


8. The completed bio-digester. The hole closest to the right is used to add the raw materials such as animal and vegetable. Water is then added into the bio-digester. After the fermentation process, solid fertilizer and methane gas are generated and collected from the main tank in the middle. The hole to the left of the main tank is where the liquid fertilizer is collected.