April 26th, 2026ICAW 2026: COMPOST MAGIC — FEED THE EARTH, FUEL YOUR FUTURE
Compost as soil’s natural amendment and nutrient enhancer will again be in focus during International Compost Awareness Week (ICAW), to be held from May 3-9 in Australia, supported by ICAW Ambassador Costa Georgiadis.
Soil is a vital foundation for agriculture and crucial to human existence. When soil is healthy, it supports vigorous plant growth, sustains food production, and provides important ecosystem benefits like clean air and water. Additionally, healthy soils play a key role in climate regulation, storing even more carbon than all the forests around the globe.
Compost boosts soil health by enhancing its physical, chemical, and biological properties. It raises organic carbon levels both by directly adding carbon and by supporting plant growth, which then deposits more carbon through roots and residues. Additionally, compost enriches soil biology by increasing the variety and number of helpful organisms that feed on organic carbon, making nutrients easier for plants to absorb.
Chris Rochfort, CEO of the Centre for Organic Research & Education (CORE) states: “By composting, our community can help create healthier soil for our plants. Compost introduces beneficial microbes that prey on harmful organisms and cut down on plant diseases, making the soil safer for planting.”
Compost is nature’s powerful tool to enrich the Earth in numerous ways:
- Reduces the amount of organic waste that goes to landfill, which when disposed to landfill breaks down anaerobically and releases methane. Methane is a greenhouse gas with a global warming potential around 28 times that of carbon dioxide over a 100-year period.
- Improves drainage and aeration in the soil.
- Produces a nutrient-rich soil amendment.
- Retains soil moisture and reduces plant diseases/pests.
- Reduces heat island effects in urban areas.
- Increases resilience to the effects of climate change such as drought and extreme weather.
Mr Rochfort added: “Compost is one of nature’s essential building blocks and can help address many pressing issues humanity faces today due to climate change, such as soil moisture loss and polluted runoff entering our waterways. Beyond this, compost is a wonderful addition to soil, enhancing plant growth, improving nutrient retention, and storing carbon. There’s no other product that matches compost in versatility, and it can also help reduce your spending on fertilisers and extra water.”
ICAW is a week when Australians are urged to highlight the value and advantages of composting within their communities. For 21 years, CORE — a public charity —has led this international awareness campaign exclusively in Australia. ICAW has contributed to reducing organic waste going to landfill and at the same time improving biodiversity in soils and building up resilience to extreme weather events.
ICAW Ambassador Costa Georgiadis commented: “ICAW is an important event that highlights the benefits of composting, and I would like to congratulate the organisers for their efforts over the past two decades in making this an event of national significance.
“The key to creating good compost is think like a microbe – they need air, water and food. Get that right and the local microorganisms and insects will transform your kitchen and garden waste into a rich and healthy compost that can create healthier soil for your garden!”
