At the Libramont Outdoor Agricultural Fair, the French company Toopi Organics installed a urine collection system for visitors at three restroom blocks throughout the fair.
The cabins at the Libramont Agricultural Fair for collecting urine and processing it into a plant growth stimulant, replacing chemical fertilizers. (Photo: Huong Giang – Correspondent of the Vietnam News Agency in Belgium).
According to a reporter in Belgium, Mr. François Gérard, project manager in Belgium for Toopi Organics, stated that during the four-day fair, which saw nearly 200,000 visitors, over 15,000 liters of urine were collected, corresponding to an area of 600 hectares that could be treated. As a startup established in 2019, Toopi Organics has developed a selective urine collection system that requires no water, allowing for the conservation of several liters of flushing water. After sanitation and the addition of sugar, urine, which contains several natural nutrients, is used as a growth medium to produce beneficial bacteria for agriculture. Ultimately, Toopi Organics has created a “biostimulant” ready for use.
Several promising trials have been conducted in Belgium on potato and corn crops. Belgium is the first European country to allow the sale of biostimulants from Toopi Organics. “Lactopi Start” is permitted for use on all types of crops at all growth stages, with some exceptions, such as on fruits and vegetables that are eaten raw. The root biostimulant is also permitted for use in organic farming.
Toopi Organics is attracting interest in Belgium from major event organizers, schools, and more. The company plans to build a facility capable of processing one million liters of urine annually by 2026 in Belgium, following the launch of a similar unit planned in France in 2025.
