**3. Influence of agricultural solid waste on human health and environment**

The influence of agricultural production on human, health, change in climate, animal healthy and the environment cannot be over-emphasized. For example, it has been suggested the greenhouse gas emissions need to be reduced drastically to avert the impeding threat on the planet, earth and its inhabitants to avert temperature rise by at least an average rise of 35.6°F [27]. Animal production has been indicted to produce about 37 and 65% of global methane and nitrous oxide emissions respectively [28], which are more potent than carbon dioxide. Indiscriminate burning of agricultural solid wastes produces climate-relevant emissions. Improper handling of agricultural solid wastes influence change in climate and change in climate in turn hampers food production. The effects of indiscriminate disposal of agricultural solid wastes cannot be overemphasized. Some of the effects are outlined below:

	- 1.Flood: One major cause of flood has been the blockage of waterways. Waterways are blocked primarily when human beings build on waterways or when the canals or waterways are blocked by solid wastes. In an agricultural environment, the indiscriminate dumping of agricultural solid wastes can result in blockage of waterways which when that happens will result in floods which may result in losses of lives and properties.
	- 2.Health and environmental implication—arising from indiscriminate burning of generated wastes. Indiscriminate dumping and burning of agricultural solid waste have resulted in pollution, a threat to human lives as well as other environmental problems, calling for global attention, although these wastes can be recycled to improve soil fertility, being rich in nutrient required for sustainable agricultural production [13, 29, 30]. **Figure 3** shows the agricultural solid wastes being dumped in open space.
	- 3.Food security and agricultural solid wastes: Continuous human population growth has been linked with increased agricultural activities which consequently results in increased generation of agricultural solid wastes. There are currently about 7.5 billion people around the globe and a significant portion of this population still do not have enough food to eat. **Figure4** is a chart comparing the human population according to continents while **Table 3** shows the current human population parameters according to continents. The effects of food insecurity are enormous, ranging from poor health, slow progress in education and employment development [34]. One of the important 17 Global Sustainable Goals is to end hunger, achieve food security and improve nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture by 2030. Unfortunately, 10 years ahead of the deadline for this goal, there are still about 821 hungry people across the globe [34]. It has been argued that the main problem of food insecurity is not that we are not producing enough food, but agricultural solid wastes, mainly food wastage is responsible. Africa and Asia have been noted as the fast-growing population in the world, incidentally, these are the regions with most food insecure people

and inefficient waste management [33, 35]. It has been estimated that onethird of the food we produce annually is lost or wasted, costing about one trillion US dollars annually. Wastage occurs mostly in developing countries during the production and supply chain while it occurs mainly in developed countries on the plate [34]. Agricultural solid wastes can be recycled as nonconventional feed ingredients to enhance food security by enhancing animal protein production [36]. **Figures 5** and **6** respectively show food wastage chart in America and estimate of unconsumed food by an average American family.

#### **Figure 3.**

*Dumping of agricultural solid wastes at the public. Sources: Akande and Olorunnisola [31] and Olayiwola et al. [32].*

**Figure 4.** *Current population of the seven continents. Source: Worldometers [33].*



#### **Table 3.**

*List of continents ranked by current human population parameters.*

**Figure 5.**

*Unconsumed food by an average American family. Source: Rescuing Leftover Cuisine [25].*

**Figure 6.** *Food wastage chart in America. Source: Rescuing Leftover Cuisine [25].*
