Brown Revolution 2.0

Why in News?

Recently, India is looking up to address the challenges of increased burning of agricultural residues through Brown revolution 2.0

What are agricultural residues?

• Meaning – It refer to the leftover plant matter, like stalks, leaves, and husks that remain after crops are harvested.
• Types

• Production – Over 350-500 million tonnes generated annually.
• Issues – Most agro-waste is either burned or left to decompose inappropriately.
• This results in severe air pollution, greenhouse gas emissions, and the persistent depletion of organic carbon in the soil.

What is the need for brown revolution 2.0?

• Lack of focus – Existing policies often ignored the foundational role that organic waste recycling plays in soil health restoration and food security.
• Declining soil fertility – The fertility of India’s soils has been in decline for decades, in large parts.
• Reducing rural income – The depletion of organic carbon in the soil negatively impacts rural incomes and alienates rural communities from value addition.
• Effects on industries – The industrial use of agro-wastes will be unsustainable, as feedstock volume and quality both decline.
• Reducing organic matters in soil – Large proportion of Indian farmland now lies below the critical thresholds of soil organic matter needed for sustainable productivity.
• Increasing agro wastes - India produces approximately 350-990 million tonnes of crop residues and agro-waste every year.
• In many districts, the organic fraction of this waste, largely from fruits, vegetables, and staples, exceeds 40%, and in certain horticultural regions, may reach 70%.
• Lack of recycling – Less than 20% of this biomass is currently recycled in a scientific and productive manner, while the majority is openly burned.
• Unmanageable wastes – Plantation crop wastes are another group as they are highly recalcitrant and accumulate over a long period of time posing both environmental and health hazard.
• Increase in severe air pollution – The routine burning of crop residues, particularly in North India, results in massive emissions of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), noxious gases, and greenhouse gases such as methane and nitrous oxide.

Every tonne of paddy straw burned is estimated to release 3 kilograms of particulate matter, 60 kilograms of carbon monoxide, and 1,460 kilograms of carbon dioxide, along with less yet significant quantities of ash and sulphur dioxide.

• Environmental pollution – Water bodies suffer from eutrophication when run-off from waste dumps leads to excessive nutrient loads.
• The rural health faces risks from both air and water contamination.
• Widening disparities – The impacts of soil infertility echo across the economy and amplify rural-urban disparities.

• Need for region specificity – The ICAR and NAAS, in both policy papers and demonstration projects, have highlighted the need for region-specific agro-waste recycling.

ICAR, or the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, is the apex body for coordinating, guiding, and managing research and education in agriculture across the country.

NAAS, or the National Academy of Agricultural Sciences, is a learned society focused on advancing scientific knowledge and innovation in agriculture and related fields

What are the benefits of Brown Revolution 2.0?

• Improves soil fertility – It promises to restore soil structure and fertility, enhance water and nutrient retention.
• Increases resilience – It improves long-term yields and resilience to both drought and flooding.
• Socio-economic advantages – It will create millions of new rural jobs in logistics, production, technology, and service roles.
• It will strengthen farmer and cooperative incomes, and reduce reliance on expensive fertilizers.
• Environmental benefits – The shift will be able to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution.
• It will improve water quality and biodiversity, and strengthen India’s claims for climate-linked rewards.
• Technological benefits – The process will become a flagship for data-driven, technology-enabled sustainability.
• Ensures transparency – Data-driven approaches also enable transparent monitoring for carbon credit schemes.
• Empowers farmers – It ensure that products meet quality standards, and empower farmers with timely feedback and recommendations.
• Alignment with national priority –  Brown Revolution 2.0 is strategically aligned  with national agricultural priorities.

What are the policy measures can be taken?

• Strategic framework – Brown Revolution 2.0 may include a mandate and corresponding funding for cooperative-based agro-waste collection and processing clusters in every agricultural district.
• Providing incentives – It must offer economic incentives similar to a minimum support price for collected and processed biomass.
• Subsidized processing centres – Decentralised composting and bio-char units ought to be subsidised, and their management integrated into KVK and extension programmes.
• Ban on burning – The prohibition of open burning and haphazard disposal should be strictly enforced.
• Financial support – Logistical and financial support to be provided to ensure that viable alternatives are available.
• Preparation of registry – A national organic carbon credit registry to be prepared.
• It recognises and rewards the sequestration of carbon in soils, harnessing both domestic and international climate finance.
• Use of latest Technology – Rapid in-vessel composting, optimised vermicomposting, and modular biochar units facilitate wide adoption and high-quality amendments.
• Adoption of AI – The integration of artificial intelligence and IoT-based platforms allows real-time tracking of soil health, optimisation of compost production, and predictive logistics for biomass flows.
• Linking with schemes – The recycling of agro-waste should be closely linked to the Soil Health Card scheme.
• It empowers farmers with data and feedback both on the status of their soils and the value of recycled amendments, supplemented by targeted outreach.
• Investing in R&D – Research and demonstration efforts must be continuous, regionally varied, and closely tied to the needs of local farmers.
• Developing human resources – Human capital must be cultivated with a special focus on women, youth, and self-help groups.

What lies ahead?

• National leadership could prioritise and scale this movement, and set a global example in combining scientific sustainability with social inclusion.

Reference

The Hindu| Brown Revolution 2.0