In many countries in Asia and the Pacific, burning straw residue after harvesting staple crops like rice is a common practice among farmers. However, straw burning has a severe impact on both agriculture and the environment. It directly harms the soil, depleting essential nutrients like phosphorus and reducing organic matter that is crucial for moisture retention. Additionally, burning releases a cocktail of harmful greenhouse gases, including carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide, accelerators of climate change. Shifting away from burning requires providing farmers with the right tools and knowledge. Appropriate farm machinery can enable them to reuse straw residue for fertilizer, cattle feed, or even as a base for growing mushrooms.
In this circumstance, a “Regional Workshop on Integrated Straw Management in Asia and the Pacific” will be organized on 19-20 June, 2024, in Qingdao, China, with the theme “Mechanization solutions for sustainable and climate-smart agriculture”.
The workshop aims to 1) collect and share good practices from countries in the region on mechanization solutions to address crop residue burning; 2) foster knowledge exchange among the policy makers, researchers, extension practitioners, entrepreneurs, and farmers leading to more effective policies, creation of innovative solutions, and wider adoption of integrated straw management practices via mechanization solutions; and 3) cultivate regional collaborations among all the pertinent stakeholders on integrated straw management via mechanization solutions for sustainable and climate-smart agriculture.