The circular economy is a system where materials never become waste and nature is regenerated. It focuses on repair, reuse, and recycling rather than on use and throw policy. In agriculture, it focuses on using everything generated in the fields and minimising wasting away such resources.

 Key Points

  • It focuses on reducing the global food wastage of 1.05 billion tonnes in 2022.
  • India has generated nearly 350 million tonnes of agricultural waste annually, comprising crop residues, husk, straw, and by-products from food processing activities. Proper circular economy practices will help re-utilise these and make them productive.
  • These residues can be used to produce nutrient-rich organic fertilisers, which will help to enhance soil health and reduce dependence on chemical inputs in agriculture.
  • Will help in the management of municipal solid waste and reduce the release of methane and other greenhouse gases due to the decomposition of waste.

Government schemes focusing on the circular economy in Agriculture

  • Crop Residue Management (CRM)
  • Galvanising Organic Bio-Agro Resources Dhan (GOBARdhan)
  • Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF)
  • Animal Husbandry Infrastructure Development Fund (AHIDF)
  • Water Management for Sustainable Agriculture: Initiatives under Jal Shakti Mission.
Differentiate between  Biomass and Biochar

  • Biomass refers to organic material derived from living or recently living plants and animals that can be used as a source of energy, materials, or nutrients.
  • Biochar is a carbon-rich material made by heating biomass (such as crop residues or wood waste) in low-oxygen conditions.

 

Source: PIB