Ecofriendly Solution to Crop Residue Burning

The case describes the problems in agricultural practices in the north-western states of India and the efforts of a non-governmental organization, CII-ITC Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Development (CESD) and CII Foundation (CIIF), to address those problems. Through the journey of the CIIF team in learning about the problem and piloting the solutions, the case describes the nature and scale of the problem of crop residue burning (CRB) after harvesting the paddy crop.

The case explains the decision-making pattern of farmers and the factors that compel them to adopt the unsustainable practice of CRB. The case sensitizes students to the adverse impact of such unsustainable agriculture practice, not just in the local ecology but also in the air quality of the nearby region of Delhi NCR. The students not only learn about the various technical solutions but also about non-technical aspects such as how successful collaborations between various governmental and non-governmental stakeholders can help address the problem of crop residue management (CRM).

The pilots on a smaller scale (select villages) by CIIF also generated valuable data about the key considerations of farmers in choosing CRB over the eco-friendly alternative CRM solutions. The students are expected to use this data to objectively arrive at the CRM option best suited for a particular farmer. The data presented in the case allows for the learning and application of various multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) techniques such as analytical hierarchy process (AHP) and decision tree analysis.