“The Nation that destroys its soil destroys itself.”

                                           – Franklin D. Roosevelt, 1937

With almost 30% of U.S. cropland eroding above soil tolerance levels – meaning the long-term ability of the soil to sustain plant growth is in jeopardy – President Roosevelt’s words ring as true today as in 1937. FDR was responding to the devastation wrought by the Dust Bowl during the Great Depression. Today, severe drought conditions are all too common, as are extreme storms.

Fortunately, we have one fairly simple solution: amending soil with compost.

Enhancing the ability of soil to retain water, slow stormwater run-off, and resist erosion is vital to life on this planet as we know it. That’s why we’re celebrating soil health this Earth Day.

Turns out, composting can save us in other ways too. Food scraps, leaves and other organic material can be transformed into compost. When buried or burned, these materials produce potent greenhouse gases and other pollutants. Some estimates indicate global food loss and waste contribute to 8% of all man-made greenhouse gas emissions. When converted into compost and added to the soil, food waste sequesters carbon. A lot of it. At the same time, on a per-ton basis, composting sustains many more jobs than landfills or incinerators.

In honor of Earth Day 2017, we are releasing a series of posters to highlight composting’s myriad benefits. Share, download and use! (We are releasing with Creative Commons attribution.)

We are also sharing resources that can help educate your neighborhood on how compost builds community wealth:

Also check out these additional composting related resources from ILSR and our allies:

Follow the Institute for Local Self-Reliance on Twitter and Facebook and, for monthly updates on our work, sign-up for our ILSR general newsletter.