Aerobic biodegradation of food wastes

Abstract Food waste management is a challenging task for many developing countries like India, where landfill remains common practice. Composting is one of the best old-fashioned methods used for food waste management. Generally, the composting process is accepted as the best technique for recycling of organic waste. At the end of this process, organic waste is fully decomposed and converted into natural manure. It is highly enriched with nutrient content, which can be used to replace the use of artificial fertilizer and enhance soil fertility. Use of natural manure for crop production increases productivity and health of crops, and protects the environment. In addition to these, compost has greater market value due its highly biodegradable nature when compared with chemical fertilizers. This chapter focuses on the roles of microbes in composting, types of composting, and factors affecting composting.