context: as the PRC pursues agricultural 'green development,' managing the vast waste streams from intensive farming is a growing priority. New targets for recycling manure, straw, and plastic aim to curb pollution and create circular economy loops, aligning with broader environmental goals and the sustainable intensification required for long-term food security.
MARA (Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs) has outlined a four-part plan to boost the recycling of agricultural solid waste, focusing on converting pollutants into resources under a new national action plan. The push targets key byproducts of intensive farming: livestock manure, crop straw, used agricultural film, and pesticide packaging.
Official data presented at a State Council briefing shows baseline recycling rates are already high. The national comprehensive utilisation rate of livestock manure has reached 80 percent, straw utilisation is stable at over 88 percent, agricultural film recovery exceeds 85 percent, and pesticide packaging waste recovery is above 80 percent.
Yang Ru 杨如 head of MARA's Department of Science and Technology, stated that the next phase will focus on shifting from waste treatment to resource utilisation. The plan involves four areas
- first, during deployment, MARA will promote the use of thicker, high-strength plastic film and fully biodegradable alternatives, while encouraging the recovery of pesticide packaging. It will continue action to recycle livestock manure and promote straw return to fields or its use as animal feed, aiming to develop integrated crop-livestock farming models
- second, on policy, the ministry will refine incentives to attract diverse participants into the waste recycling sector, focusing on source reduction, improving collection and transport systems, and enhancing the technical level of recycling entities
- third, on technology, MARA aims to break key technical bottlenecks, including simplified methods for applying manure fertiliser, accelerating straw decomposition in cold soils, and developing new film materials. It plans to promote integrated technical solutions tailored to different regions
- fourth, on public outreach, it will launch campaigns to promote green development concepts among farmers and highlight successful models of circular agriculture to foster a supportive environment for waste recycling
The initiative underscores an inflection within China's agricultural policy, where managing the environmental footprint of high-output farming systems is becoming as critical as maintaining production volumes, with waste recast as an input for sustainable 'ecological circular agriculture.'