The International Compost Alliance (ICA) follows a thoughtful process each year to select the theme for International Compost Awareness Week (ICAW). For 2027, we began by choosing one of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs) as our anchor. The ICAW Committee and ICA members agreed to focus on UN SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, & Infrastructure, highlighting the essential need to lower carbon emissions through inclusive and sustainable industrialization.
From there, members of the ICAW Committee and ICA brainstormed potential theme ideas that would connect composting to this global goal. After several rounds of discussion, review, and refinement, the final list of themes was put to a vote. Following the ICA’s final decision, we are proud to announce the selected theme for ICAW 2027: All Paths Lead to Compost
SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, & Infrastructure focuses on building resilient infrastructure, promoting inclusive and sustainable industrialization and fostering innovation. Key targets include:
Why it matters: A functioning and resilient infrastructure is the foundation of every successful community. Innovation and infrastructure can unleash dynamic and competitive economic forces that generate employment and income. They play a key role in introducing and promoting new technologies, facilitating international trade and enabling the efficient use of resources. To meet future challenges, our industries and infrastructure must be upgraded. For this, we need to promote innovative sustainable technologies and ensure equal and universal access to information and markets.
The call to action is clear: Invest in clean and resilient infrastructure. It’s the only way to keep workers safe and protect the environment.
The ICAW Poster Contest is open to all ages 14 through adult worldwide. The winning design will be distributed and displayed across the United States and beyond to promote the ICAW 2027 campaign.
The ICAW Bookmark Contest is for youth ages 10 – 13. The winning design is printed and shared across the country during ICAW to help spread the word about the importance of composting and healthy soil.
Endurance Oye of Mowe, Ogun State, Nigeria was the 2026 ICAW Poster Contest winner. Endurance’s poster was selected from hundreds of entries submitted by artists around the world and stood out for its depth, storytelling, and powerful connection to last year’s theme: Compost! Feed the Soil That Feeds Us.
Inspired by what he calls the “quiet intelligence of nature,” Endurance’s work reflects how the earth transforms what we discard into nourishment and new life. Growing up close to the land, he observed firsthand how fallen leaves, food scraps, and organic matter return to the soil and fuel renewal. His winning poster visually tells this story through layered soil scenes that reveal decomposition, microbial activity, nutrient formation, and plants reaching toward the light—illustrating composting as a living, breathing cycle of resilience and transformation.
For Endurance, composting is more than an environmental practice; it is a meaningful relationship with the earth and an act of gratitude for the land that sustains us. His artwork reminds us that when we return organic material to the soil, we strengthen the systems that feed us all.
Victoria Osadchuk of Ravensdale, WA was the 2026 ICAW Bookmark Contest winner. Victoria attends Summit Trail Middle School and brought a thoughtful, creative perspective to this year’s contest.
Outside of school, she enjoys volunteering and giving back to her community, much like compost gives nutrients back to the earth. 
She also loves spending time outdoors hiking and traveling with her family, and on rainy Washington days, you’ll find her indoors reading, animating, and participating in creative contests, always eager to learn something new.
The ICAW Committee extends a heartfelt thank you to everyone who entered the 2026 Poster & Bookmark Contests, as well as to the educators, organizations, sponsors, and supporters who continue to champion compost awareness worldwide. Your creativity, passion, and commitment help bring this year’s theme to life and ensure that the message of compost’s vital role in healthy soils and communities continues to grow.
