Plastics bring undeniable benefits to human society. But now, plastic is emerging as an ‘unmanageable crisis’. The first synthetic plastic was produced in 1907. By 1950, the world was producing two million tonnes (MT). It now produces over 450 MT annually. Only nine per cent is successfully recycled.
Every year, 19-23 MT of plastic waste leaks into aquatic ecosystems, polluting lakes, rivers and seas and 13 MT of plastics accumulate in soil. Plastic waste is now everywhere, damaging our forests, soil, water and air. Microplastics have entered animals, plants, fruits and even human bodies. A recent study found a litre of bottled water included about 240,000 tiny pieces of plastics.
Plastics have infiltrated every corner of the world — contaminating the water we drink, the food we eat, and the air we breathe. It is high time for each one of us to take informed collective actions for responsible use and management of this waste.
Over the past decades, plastic has become an integral part of agriculture and this use is increasing with the intensity of modern commercial agriculture. The application of polyethene film across farmlands began in the 1950s as it could successfully moderate soil temperature, limit weed growth and prevent moisture loss. This method was found to increase cotton, maize and wheat yields by an average of 30 per cent at a relatively low cost. Plastic is now used in mulching, seedling trays, micro-irrigation, pond liners, polyhouses, food storage, packaging and transportation. Polyethene residue is now increasingly prevalent in treated soils at levels of up to 300 kilograms per hectare.
In 2021, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) released a landmark report assessing the use of plastics in agriculture. The report calculated that, in 2019, agricultural value chains used 12 MT of plastic products in plant and animal products and 37.3 MT in food packaging.
Just one kg of thin mulching sheets is enough to cover and contaminate as much as 700 square feet of agricultural land. The accumulation of plastic waste in agricultural lands harms soil health, disrupts ecosystems, and poses a growing challenge to sustainable farming practices. Plastic waste in agricultural lands leads to reduced soil fertility. Plastic fragments can hinder air circulation and negatively impact microbial communities crucial for soil health. They can adversely affect root biomass and overall plant growth, can harm soil organisms like earthworms, affecting their feeding and excretion. Microplastics can be absorbed by plants, potentially entering the food chain and human bodies. Plastic pollution in agriculture unfortunately lacks the required attention at policy and practice levels and is jeopardising the overall sustainability of farming and ecosystems.
Normally, farm decisions are dominated by economic productivity of a particular crop season with insufficient holistic, environmental and long-term perspectives. Plastics’ increased intensity and spread and lack of systematic disposal and management pose disastrous consequences. Farming communities are ignorant and uninformed about these consequences. Even the discourse of plastic pollution is overshadowed by urban garbage and pollution of water bodies with no serious action on agri-plastic. Some of the recent strategic initiatives like the Maharashtra Plastic Action Roadmap too do not adequately recognise the agri-plastic issue.
Knowledge and understanding about the damage caused by agri-plastic pollution is very recent. The FAO carried out studies in 2019 and released the Voluntary Code of Conduct on the Sustainable Use and Management of Plastic in Agriculture in October 2024.
Asia is estimated to be the largest user of agri-plastics, constituting almost half of global usage, according to the FAO assessment. There is evidence that most plastics are burned, buried, or landfilled, although record keeping is generally non-existent. Research in Karnataka and Maharashtra on microplastics found evidence of the highest microplastic contamination in soil — 87.57 pieces per kg of soil at a dumpsite in Maharashtra. A recent sample study reveals that 90 per cent of Indian villages have no waste management systems while 67 per cent of households prefer to burn plastic waste.
There is an urgent need for a time-bound action-oriented policy framework. There is also a need to monitor the quantities of plastic products that are used and leak into the environment. At the operational level, there is a need for immediate action towards the better management of agri-plastics and putting an immediate stop on the use of single use plastics. Promoting circular approaches is essential to reduce plastic waste generation through prevention, reduction, reuse and recycling.
Tackling agricultural plastic pollution is paramount to achieving resilient and sustainable agrifood systems. First, we need to make the farming community understand the disastrous consequences. Those who are ignorantly enjoying short-term monetary gains, need to take thought-through farm actions.
Science-based guiding frameworks should be provided for the sustainable use and management of plastics in agriculture. Alternative cost-effective solutions, the Indian Council of Agricultural Research and research centres should engage to develop alternate bio-plastic materials and then incentivise those alternative solutions at the farm level to cope with this transition.
Policy should check production, use and management of agri-plastic waste. A time-bound target-oriented strategy backed by a legally binding framework needs to be in place.
There is a need for monitoring of actions and punishment for those violating specified norms during production, use and management of agri-plastic waste. There should be a complete stop on irresponsible dumping or burning of agri-plastics.
The legal framework should hold plastic manufacturers responsible for the end-of-life management of their products.
There are 665,000 villages and 268,000 Gram Panchayats in India. Every year, villages and Gram Panchayats prepare their annual development Plan (ADP).
The Government of India’s approach to climate action in villages is primarily guided by the National Action Plan on Climate Change and its subsequent State Action Plans on Climate Change. These frameworks aim to integrate climate concerns into various developmental programs and build climate resilience at the local level, particularly focusing on agriculture and rural livelihoods.
The village climate action plan should be integrated with agri-plastic waste management, adoption of suitable alternatives, and should also be a part of climate-resilient agriculture. There should be stronger monitoring to penalise irresponsible dangerous practices like burning, burying, or open dumping of plastic waste. So, a community-led initiative for waste management should be incorporated with the village ADP.
Practices like conservation agriculture (e.g., cover cropping) that reduce the need for plastic-intensive methods should be adopted.
There should be promotion of sustainable farming practices to make agriculture more resilient. These practices include vermin-composting, bio-mulching, bio-fertilisers, bio-pesticides and soil and moisture conservation. These improve soil health, protect soil carbon and regenerate local biodiversity.
We should see to it that a self-reliant empowered farming community takes ownership of informed climate action building resilience in agriculture and rural livelihoods and takes all progressive actions.
Ashok Kumar Nayak, is a development professional, engaged in programme implementation and research, working across India now based in Maharashtra
Views expressed are the author’s own and don’t necessarily reflect those of Down To Earth