Use of Organic Fertilizers in Urban Agriculture and Its Implications for Food Security

Abstract

Developed by the Interdisciplinary Group for Molecular Studies, this article analyzes the relationship between the quality of organic fertilizers derived from urban solid waste and food security in the context of Colombian urban agriculture. The authors present a comparative evaluation of 60 samples between compost from source-separated and non-separated waste, documenting that the latter shows significantly lower nutritional quality and higher concentrations of heavy metals such as nickel, lead, and chromium. The text documents preliminary findings on nickel transfer from soil to radish sprouts, noting the risk of heavy-metal bioaccumulation up the food chain to humans, with potential implications for carcinogenesis.