24 September 2015: The Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO) has published a learning guide, titled ‘Farmer’s Compost Handbook: Experiences in Latin America,’ which aims to highlight techniques for safe fertilizer production and use at the household and small-scale farmer levels.

The manual reflects FAO’s vision for promoting sustainable intensification of agricultural production, which the organization defines as the process of achieving “higher production from the same land surface while conserving resources, reducing negative impact on the environment and enhancing the natural capital and the provision of ecosystem services.”

The manual is structured around four thematic blocks. The first section highlights the theoretical foundations of composting, including parameters for determining the quality and safety of the finished material and the benefits of compost in its different uses. The second section focuses on practical applications of different composting systems and techniques in the field. The third section discusses a range of related compost products, including the production and use of compost tea (soluble products of compost or organic materials used) and vermicompost (the use of earthworms to process organic matter). The final section highlights practical experiences from different countries in Latin America and the Caribbean and aims to help readers to verify, or adjust, their own approaches.

The manual was prepared by the FAO Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean, in collaboration with the Research Group on Soil, Water, Crop and Microorganisms at the Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María in Santiago, Chile. [FAO/Global Soil Partnership Announcement] [Publication: Farmer’s Compost Handbook – Experiences in Latin America]