In many countries in the Asia-Pacific region, burning crop residue after harvesting staple crops is a common practice among farmers. However, this has a severe impact on both agriculture and the environment. It directly harms the soil, depleting essential nutrients such as 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 crop residue for fertilizer, cattle feed, or even as a base for growing mushrooms.
To tackle crop residue burning, the Centre for Sustainable Agricultural Mechanization of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP-CSAM) is implementing since 2018 a ‘Regional Initiative on Mechanization Solutions for Integrated Management of Straw Residue in Asia and the Pacific’ to identify, test and promote an integrated model of straw management using agricultural machinery which encourages farmers to refrain from burning the residue.
In early 2024, ESCAP-CSAM secured funding from the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Sub-Fund of the United Nations Peace and Development Trust Fund (UNPDF) to execute a phase II pilot project in Cambodia, Indonesia and Nepal titled “Strengthening mechanization-based solutions for climate-smart crop residue management in Cambodia, Indonesia and Nepal”. In line with the work plan of this project, the Study Tour is being organized with the following objectives of: 1) collect and disseminate good practices from countries in the region on mechanization solutions to address straw residue burning and enhancing the selection of the technology models in the pilot countries; 2) study proven and innovative technologies and practices for integrated straw management through mechanization solutions in China; and 3) foster knowledge exchange and collaboration among pilot teams to ensure the success of the pilot projects and optimize outcomes.