With the aim of developing new applications of compost from municipal waste, a study has been carried out to demonstrate and improve practices in this regard.

One of the main causes of desertification, an indicator of climate change, is the removal of organic matter from soils. This is essential for good physicochemical and biological conditions of the soil, its fertility, its agricultural use and to avoid erosion, being an important factor of adaptation.

“Application of compost from municipal waste to agricultural soils and pastures” is an initiative of Friends of the Earth Spain that has had the support of the Biodiversity Foundation of the Ministry for Ecological Transition through its 2017 call for grants. The objective has been to demonstrate that the application of compost from municipal waste to Spanish soils contributes positively to adaptation to climate change.

The project has been based on two fundamental pillars. On the one hand, practical experiments have been carried out with the application of compost from 18 sources in 22 soils of different characteristics, and distributed regionally throughout the peninsula. Another of the pillars has been based on the analysis, in the laboratory, of the characteristics of the compost used, as well as the soils before and after their application.

With the data extracted, the potential of carrying out these practices to improve the resilience of Spanish soils to climate change, the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and the potential of using compost from municipal waste in arable soils has been calculated.