Agrigreat Soiltech: Youth driven initiatives for a future in sustainable agriculture, organic solitech solutions for repairing damaged soil

In order to foster community-wide innovation and sustainability, more young women should take the lead in community sustainability initiatives. Greater participation of young women in sustainability projects like Agrigreat Soiltech can improve the quality and longevity of solutions to environmental problems, while simultaneously advancing gender parity, empowering women economically, and helping communities overcome poverty. 

Meet 23-year-old, Buyiswa Twala, founder of Agrigreat Soiltech and Envirocare, a multiple award-winning lab that uses biowaste gathered from townships with minimal service delivery. The lab’s composts and fertilizers standout due to their organic composition and their proven ability to combat soil erosion and desertification. Ultimately, Buyiswa wants this to benefit people all throughout the globe, not only in Africa, by ensuring people have access to nutritious food. 

“I started out when I was 19 years old. With a few friends, we worked together to build a garden in Tembisa township, an informal settlement in Johannesburg. Although I dropped out of university owing to financial constraints, which prevented me from pursuing my scientific degree further, I overcame these obstacles by conducting my own research, developing my own formulas, and eventually running my own lab. I also had to overcome the difficulty of attracting clients and convincing them to switch from traditional, high-impact products to ones with a smaller environmental footprint. This experience taught me that the agricultural industry is woefully unprepared for the importance of sustainability, and this strengthened my resolve to do more to raise awareness about smart and sustainable agriculture," said Buyiswa.

Like many others, Agrigreat Soiltech sees the increasing demand for food as a natural consequence of a growing human population. As a result, the lab needs agricultural practices that won't deplete resources and will be able to feed people in the future. The mission of Agrigreat Soiltech is to find ways to meet the demands of a growing population in a sustainable way. An essential part of industrial farming is preparing the soil. What distinguishes the lab from its competitors is its commitment to finding organic nitrogen sources for fertilizers that do not react too strongly with other natural elements.

In the middle of Johannesburg's Alexandra township, Agrigreat Soiltech has established its first waste conversion station, which processes 5 tonnes of waste every month from surrounding townships. After all of South Africa's 500+ townships have their trash converted, she intends to establish a larger facility in 2025. 

In addition to her work as a community organizer, Buyiswa is the brains behind the Agrigreat Stem Club in townships. The club's mission is to introduce local youth to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields and the innovative technologies that are shaping them through activities like science fairs and career fairs, which she hosts in partnership with local banks, engineering firms, and other businesses.

An important goal of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change's Gender Action Plan is to increase the representation of women in climate-related decision-making and action by promoting their full, equitable, and meaningful involvement in these processes. More than just a question of social justice, the growing number of environmental catastrophes makes women's participation in conservation efforts a strategic need.

Ms. Twala is only one of many young, forward-thinking women who can better South Africa's agriculture industry and boost economic growth.