A delegation from the Agrarian University of Havana (UNAH) visited the Sogama industrial composting plant in Vilanova de Arousa (Pontevedra) to learn firsthand about the Galician model for managing biowaste. The visit is part of an international project coordinated by the University of Vigo (UVigo) and funded with €400.000 by the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID).
The initiative aims to promote a circular economy through composting to improve soil fertility, increase agricultural productivity, and strengthen food security in Cuba. During their visit, the delegation was able to observe the operation of the public composting infrastructure network developed by the Xunta de Galicia (Galician Regional Government), which represents an investment of 45 million euros.
A composting model for Cuba
The project, with a planned duration of 24 months, seeks to address the main challenges facing the Cuban agricultural sector: low soil fertility, scarce organic matter, and soil compaction . The initiative involves implementing a community composting system at the El Guayabal University Farm School, belonging to the National Autonomous University of Honduras (UNAH), with the intention of making this experience a replicable model in other parts of the country.
According to project leaders, the collaboration with the company Fabricados Electromecánicos Estévez Fábrez and the participation of the Conference of University Rectors of Southwest Europe (CRUSOE) reinforce the international character of the initiative. Funding from the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID) allows for the development of local technical capacities for more sustainable agroecological production.
The Galician composting network, an international benchmark
During the visit, the president of Sogama, Javier DomÃnguez, presented the operation of the public composting infrastructure network promoted by the Xunta de Galicia (Galician Regional Government). This network, which strengthens Spain's biowaste management efforts , represents an investment of 45 million euros, 30 million of which comes from European funding. It comprises four biowaste treatment plants located in Vilanova de Arousa, VerÃn, Cerceda, and Cervo, as well as 13 transfer stations equipped to manage the organic fraction.
Thanks to this infrastructure, the 304 municipalities affiliated with Sogama have a composting or transfer station located within 50 kilometers. The Vilanova de Arousa plant , specifically, was launched after an investment of €15,1 million and serves over twenty municipalities in the region.
The Cuban delegation and details of the visit
The delegation was headed by Salustiano Mato, Professor of Zoology and project coordinator at the University of Vigo (UVigo), accompanied by representatives from the National Autonomous University of Honduras (UNAH), including its Vice-Rector for Research, Mabelin Armenteros Amaya, as well as project technical managers and representatives from CRUSOE. The visit provided firsthand insight into the operation of the industrial composting plant and the management model developed by Sogama, which will serve as a benchmark for implementing circular economy solutions focused on the valorization of organic waste and the regeneration of agricultural soils in Cuba.
The project, which also has the collaboration of the company Fabricados Electromecánicos Estévez Fábrez, aims to strengthen food security and environmental sustainability on the island, as well as enhance local technical capacities for more sustainable agroecological production. The experience of the Galician network demonstrates that community composting can be an effective tool for closing the organic matter cycle and returning nutrients to the land.