Control crop burning in Peru: a call for action

In the peruvian part of Amazon, burning crops is an widely spread habit which keeps being used again and again, mostly during the periods of seedings or harvest. Farmers have been used to burn the crops to “clean” the land and to prepare the seeding. Even though this technique might be useful, its consequences for the environment and human health are tragic.

This technique generates huge quantities of greenhouse gas contributing to global warming and of other gas polluting the air we all breathe. This practice can also lead to the loss of nutriments in the ground and a noticeable decrease of biodiversity.

Several peruvian environmental laws regulate this technique. The right to a healthy environment and the duty for the State to protect diversity and integrity of the environment are established respectively in the articles 2 and 67 of the Peruvian constitution. On another side, in the articles 18 and 19, the Law on Forest and Wildlife (Law N 29763) forbids burning of forests, grasslands and other types of vegetation like agricultural and forestry residues without a permit given by SERFOR. Moreover, the Peruvian Penal Code considers as an offense the burning of any lands without authorization in its article 307, and the MINAGRI promotes sustainable agricultural techniques in order to prevent crop burning through different programs and initiatives.

Controlling crop burning in Peru is a complex challenge that requires the cooperation and commitment of many actors, including farmers, government authorities, NGOs, private companies and society in general. However, there are several strategies to address this problem:

If we keep burning crops in Peru, it could negatively affect the environment, damaging the soil, reducing the variety of plants and animals and contributing to climate change. In addition, it can increase the risk of wildfires which can destroy lives, homes and affect the fauna and flora of ecosystems. Crop burning can also decrease agricultural productivity and affect food security. This is why it is important to adopt sustainable agricultural practices to take care of the environment and our communities.

Envol Vert Peru promotes sustainable agricultural practices and fights against crop burning by creating agroforestry systems and training framers in regenerative agriculture and soil management techniques. We work together with communities and authorities to generate awareness of the negative impacts of burning and support sustainable economic alternatives. We also provide technical assistance to improve crop productivity and profitability without damaging the environment.

Concretely, we have set up a fun and educational activity that seeks to raise farmers’ awareness of the risks and damage generated by the burning of crops. Within this activity, our participants were able to take part in a small theater where the story of a farmer about to burn his crops was staged. During the play, the farmer’s neighbor shares his personal experience of the dangers of this practice, including soil degradation, loss of biodiversity and greenhouse gas emissions. The play includes other characters afterwards, such as local authorities or representatives of organizations promoting sustainable agricultural techniques and alternatives to crop burning.

Although it is forbidden to burn crops according to the Law on Forests and Wildlife, this is not always respected, due to the lack of resources of the institutions responsible for supervising and sanctioning this practice. In addition, the institutions responsible for this supervision are numerous, which leads to a lack of coordination. Another important point is the lack of economic alternatives for farmers, who are not always aware of the environmental and health risks associated with crop burning. It is important to work together to find solutions that help farmers implement more sustainable farming practices and end crop burning.