Crop Residue Management for Climate-Smart Agriculture: Alternatives to Burning and Pathways to Circularity

Abstract

Agricultural production generates vast quantities of crop residues annually, the management of which poses one of the most consequential yet under-addressed challenges in contemporary agri-food systems. Open-field burning remains the predominant disposal method in many low- and middle-income agricultural regions, principally across South and Southeast Asia, sub-Saharan Africa, and parts of Eastern Europe and Latin America, where logistical and economic pressures incentivise the rapid clearance of fields between cropping seasons. This review synthesises evidence from peer-reviewed literature and authoritative institutional reports, published primarily between 2000 and 2026, to characterise the scale and consequences of crop residue burning, evaluate the scientific basis for alternative management strategies, and situate residue valorisation within the dual conceptual frameworks of climate-smart agriculture and the circular bioeconomy. The principal findings indicate that open burning releases substantial quantities of carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, black carbon, and fine particulate matter, with profound consequences for soil health, air quality, human respiratory health, and global climate stability. A spectrum of technically viable alternatives is examined, including in-situ residue incorporation, biochar production, composting and vermicomposting, anaerobic digestion for biogas, lignocellulosic bioethanol production, thermochemical conversion, and use as animal feed or raw industrial material. Climate-smart soil management, grounded in enhanced organic matter inputs and the stabilisation of soil carbon pools, emerges as a central strategy for simultaneously improving agricultural resilience and mitigating greenhouse gas emissions. The circular bioeconomy framework provides a coherent architecture for transforming residues from waste streams into value-added products, integrating energy, nutrient, and carbon recovery within cascading use hierarchies. Significant policy, institutional, and knowledge barriers remain, however, particularly in smallholder farming systems. The review concludes by identifying critical research gaps and recommending governance measures to accelerate the transition from burning to sustainable, circular residue management.