6. Strategies for promoting sustainable manure management

## 6.1. Policy and legal frameworks for sustainable manure management

In view of the numerous challenges associated with manure handling, relevant policies, legislations, regulations, directives, codes, standards and guidelines have been enacted to promote its sustainable management. The responsibility of setting policies and/or regulations for manure management could rest with the federal, state, local or provincial government. A policy articulates the course of action or principles and associated guidelines adopted to guide decisions and achieve some national outcomes relating to particular issues. Policies should usually have long-term goals. A manure policy is supposed to outline rules, provide principles that guide actions and set roles and responsibilities of waste generators and the public authorities. It also reflects values and beliefs as well as the intention to take action. Legislations and regulations are usually set to give effect to the manure management policy. Guidelines, standards, codes and procedures may also be associated with a policy. Policies may include mandatory or voluntary compliance.

Manure management policies could be a stand-alone policy or a part of another. National Agricultural Policy, Environmental Policy, Climate Change Policy, Energy Policy, Renewable Energy Policy, Livestock Development Policy, Poultry Development Policy, Food Safety Policy, Water Policy, Integrated Waste Management Policy and so on do address some aspects of manure management. A challenge with the policies earlier mentioned in relation to manure issues is that they may not be comprehensive as desirable or adequately cover every important aspect of manure management. This is the situation in several countries. Dedicated manure management policies and legislations may address the gaps associated with the other policies in relation to manure issues. The Integrated Livestock Manure Management Policy of Bangladesh is an example of a stand-alone manure policy [20]. Manure management hierarchy can guide the formulation of manure management policy objectives. To make the manure management policies effective, goals and targets can be set over various time scales. It is essential to involve the stakeholders in the processes of formulating the policies and strategies. The stakeholders should also be adequately sensitized as per their roles and responsibilities relating to sound manure management.

Policy incoherence and weak enforcement due to the lack of coordination among relevant ministries are other major challenges associated with manure policies in several countries [22]. It suffices to note that policy implementation is challenging without accompanying it with enforcement and compliance. Legislations can also contribute to increased litigation associated with manure management. Ref. [23] noted adding incentives in the form of subsidies to mandatory requirements could help to fast-track and enlarge the adoption of sustainable manure management practices such as anaerobic digestion of animal manure.

Dutch manure policy has been reported to have the following impacts: a decreased fraction of phosphate and nitrogen from the synthetic fertilizer and reduced nutrient dispersion in the environment. The success of the policy implementation has been attributed to strict application of standards for agricultural production, more efficient production per animal, low emission from stored and applied manure, manure processing, transportation and export.

#### 6.2. Manure management practices

applied to land, from pasture feeding and watering areas or from direct discharge into water

Illness caused in humans Route of infection

Eating food contaminated by feces of

Contact with contaminated droppings

infected animal

Asymptomatic infection to acute respiratory

syndrome and fatal encephalitis

muscle aches, pneumonia

Table 8. Animal manure, potential pathogens and illnesses caused in humans.

Major consequences of manure pollution in water bodies include oxygen depletion due to increased biological oxygen demand and the resultant effect on sustainable fisheries, eutrophication and algae bloom, water taints and odor, nitrate poisoning in humans and animals and water acting as a carrier for several disease pathogens [21]. Gaseous emissions from manure facilities contribute to noxious odor, greenhouse effect and other potential health hazards. Apart from the direct discharge of manure or its constituents, water bodies can absorb airborne manure constituents. Substantial amounts of nutrients, particularly nitrogen, are lost during manure collection, storage and removal. Therefore, animal manure can be a contaminant for food, soil and water. Manure is also a cause of offensive odor. Therefore, manure management systems must integrate appropriate measures for odor control. Reducing the frequency, intensity, duration and offensiveness of the odor is the main goal of

6. Strategies for promoting sustainable manure management

In view of the numerous challenges associated with manure handling, relevant policies, legislations, regulations, directives, codes, standards and guidelines have been enacted to promote its sustainable management. The responsibility of setting policies and/or regulations for manure management could rest with the federal, state, local or provincial government. A policy articulates the course of action or principles and associated guidelines adopted to guide decisions and achieve some national outcomes relating to particular issues. Policies should usually have long-term goals. A manure policy is supposed to outline rules, provide principles that guide actions and set roles and responsibilities of waste generators and the public authorities. It also reflects values and beliefs as well as the intention to take action. Legislations and regulations are usually set to give effect to the manure management policy. Guidelines, standards, codes and procedures may also be associated with a policy. Policies may include

6.1. Policy and legal frameworks for sustainable manure management

bodies which causes water pollution.

organism

Nipah virus Virus Severe illness in both animal and human.

Avian Influenza Virus Conjunctivitis, fever, cough, sore throat,

Organism Type of

128 Agricultural Waste and Residues

Source: Adapted from [20].

effective odor control.

mandatory or voluntary compliance.
