As the global waste-to-energy (WtE) market enters a phase of accelerated expansion—projected to reach a valuation of $50.92 billion by 2032, the Chief Executive, SMEFUNDS, Dr. Femi Oye, is calling for a strategic reorientation of the sector toward agriculture. While industrial zones and urban centers have traditionally dominated waste-to-energy investments, Oye argued that the next frontier of growth lies in harnessing agricultural residues to secure rural food systems and power local economies.
Reacting to recent market reports forecasting a 4.5 per cent compound annual growth rate for the WtE industry Oye, said the success recorded in urban waste conversion must now be replicated in rural farming communities.
According to him, the global energy transition presents a rare opportunity to transform agriculture from a power-constrained, resource-intensive activity into a self-sustaining economic engine. By deploying advanced thermal and biochemical conversion technologies close to farms, he said countries can address energy poverty and food insecurity at the same time.
“The traditional view of waste as a burden is rapidly becoming obsolete. What we are seeing in the global market is the realisation that waste is a misplaced resource. However, to reach the multi-billion-dollar projections we see for 2032, we must move beyond simple incineration and focus on the rural heartlands where agricultural waste is abundant. By deploying modular, twin-reactor technologies in farming communities, we are essentially mining the fields to fuel our food systems,” Oye said.
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Oye identified unreliable electricity supply as the single biggest constraint on agricultural productivity in emerging markets. Without stable power, he noted, farmers are unable to invest in cold storage, irrigation or food processing, resulting in severe post-harvest losses and limited income growth. He therefore urged governments and private investors to accelerate the rollout of what he described as “Agri-Grid” systems—distributed energy projects that convert farm residues such as stalks, husks and organic trimmings into firm, baseload power for rural use.
“To reach the heights predicted for this industry, we must prioritize farm-integrated energy production. When you can process several tons of agricultural waste daily into industrial-grade fuel or electricity, you are not just cleaning up a farm. You are stabilizing the energy supply chain for local food processors and shielding them from the volatility of global oil markets. This is the kind of thinking that will define the next decade of the energy transition,” he said.
According to the SMEFUNDS Chief Executive, integrating waste-to-energy technologies into the agricultural value chain creates a localised circular economy that keeps capital within rural communities. By enabling farmers to generate power at source, he said these systems can bypass the limitations of centralized grids that often fail to reach remote areas, while laying the foundation for rural industrialisation.
Oye explained that SMEFUNDS is ready to support both public and private sector efforts to deploy small-scale waste-to-energy systems within farming clusters.
He cited mini-projects designed to ingest agricultural residues such as corn stalks, rice husks and cocoa shells to produce immediate electricity for cold storage, milling and drying operations. In addition, he noted that complementary solar equipment can power irrigation pumps and food-processing machinery, while the systems also generate biochar—a high-carbon byproduct returned to farmers as a soil enhancer to improve yields.
“Reliable power for refrigeration ensures that perishable goods reach urban markets without spoiling,” This is how rural towns begin to industrialize. Small-scale farmers can transition into agri-preneurs by offering milling, drying and packaging services locally, rather than shipping raw produce out at low margins,” Oye said.
Beyond energy access, Oye pointed to emerging revenue streams tied to the model, including income from bio-fertilisers, carbon credits and sustainability grants linked to landfill diversion and renewable energy targets. These incentives, he said, strengthen the business case for agricultural waste-to-energy and make rural deployment financially viable.
“To reach the multi-billion-dollar projections we see for 2032, we must move beyond simple incineration. The future lies in chemical recycling and high-value recovery. By turning agricultural liabilities into energy assets, we empower rural communities to drive their own development. We are moving the ‘trash-to-treasure’ narrative from the laboratory to the farmhouse floor, proving that sustainability and profitability can indeed flow from the same pipe,” he added.
