Open burning of agricultural residues in agricultural lands is one of the major sources of air pollution especially fine particulate matter having aerodynamic diameter not larger than 2.5 micrometer (PM2.5). Studies have found that the burning agricultural residues left from the cultivation of 3 main cash crops, i.e. rice, sugarcane, and maize, contribute significantly to PM2.5 in both rural and u...

Production of guidelines for best sustainable land management (SLM) technologies and approaches in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) has been part of TerrAfrica’s programme during 2009-2010. These guidelines and case studies are intended to help create a framework for investment related to SLM in SSA. The particular aim of these guidelines is to identify, analyse, discuss and disseminate promising SLM prac...

Nowadays, Combine Harvesters are the most commonly used device for harvesting crops; as a result, a large amount of plant material and crop residue is concentrated into a narrow band of plant material that exits the combine, challenging the residue management task. This paper aims to develop a crop residue management machine that can chop paddy residues and mix them with the soil of the combined h...

Particulate matter significantly reduces life expectancy in India. Authors use a randomized controlled trial in the Indian state of Punjab to evaluate the effectiveness of conditional cash transfers (also known as payments for ecosystem services, or PES) in reducing crop residue burning, which is a major contributor to the region’s poor air quality. Credit constraints and distrust may make farmers...

The Union government released the latest version of the Crop Residue Management Operational Guidelines in March 2024 to promote better stubble management, especially in the states of Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi. The government has been periodically updating these guidelines since they were first introduced after the launch of th...

Undertaking an inclusive and just low-carbon transition requires vast flows of finance into activities that support mitigation and adaptation. Developed countries have already fallen short of their aims to support climate actions in low- and middle-income countries, providing only US$83.3 billion in 2020. How much finance flows, the sectors it flows into and the channels it flows through affect th...

While conservation agriculture (CA) provides public benefits, farmers adopting CA do not usually reap immediate private benefits. Since it takes time for organic matter to build up in the soil, productivity gains are not immediately realised. Farmers adopting CA, therefore, typically face an immediate cost for a potentially uncertain future benefit; hence, adoption rates in Africa have been low.Gi...

The “uneven ground” alluded to in the title of this synthesis report is where the majority of rural people are increasingly finding themselves. They are the focus of this report and of the work of the International Land Coalition. Smallholders and family farms, indigenous peoples, rural women, youth, and landless rural communities are being squeezed into smaller parcels of land or forced off the l...

Biomass-derived energy is poised to play a pivotal role in the ongoing energy transition. According to IRENA’s 1.5°C Scenario outlined in the World Energy Transitions Outlook, bioenergy is projected to constitute 22% of the total primary energy supply by 2050 (IRENA, 2023). This ambitious goal will necessitate a substantial increase in primary biomass resources, requiring up to 135 exajoules (EJ) ...

The ICFA report identifies several key findings: India generates roughly 500 million tonnes of crop residue annually, with rice, wheat, and sugarcane contributing about 82 percent of the burning problem. Open-field burning emits vast amounts of pollutants — especially carbon monoxide, black carbon, and volatile organic compounds — underscoring its environmental and public-health severity. Moreover...