Level of knowledge of stakeholders on waste management in the poultry sector in the maritime region of Togo

Poultry is one of the main sources of animal protein that is mainly consumed in the world. At the same time its contribution has resulted in the creation of a substantial number of waste feathers. That end up in landfills creating environmental problems due to the ignorance of the actors about their socio-economic importance. Yet, they are renewable resources rich in keratin, a type of rigid and fibrous protein with multiple applications. This study which is an assessment of the level of knowledge of the actors of the poultry sector of the Maritime Region in Togo on the management of poultry feathers and their recovery, is a contribution to an efficient management and recovery of this waste. In total 36 structures were prospected using survey sheets, with the participation of one actor per structure. The survey carried out by semi-structured interview then made it possible to note that the actors experience a difficulty in the management of feathers, concomitantly with their slow biodegradability. Their storage without use then becomes a problem in poultry farming systems where these feathers are either thrown on dumps or simply incinerated. This difficulty in the management of poultry feathers explains their low storage observed through the present study, 27.78% against 88.89% for droppings. Even the valorization in composting remains very weak with only one structure on all the localities prospected and this, in spite of the high level of study of the actors. Overall, the actors in the poultry sector surveyed thus have little knowledge in the management and the use of these feathers. The valorization of poultry feathers in Togo therefore remains a challenge to be met.