Field Crop 2024, Vol.7, No.1, 17-26 http://cropscipublisher.com/index.php/fc 17 Research Article Open Access Economic and Environmental Impacts of Mechanized Versus Manual Sugarcane Harvesting AmengLi CRO Service Station, Sanya Tihitar SciTech Breeding Service Inc., Sanya, 572025, Hainan, China Corresponding author email: ameng.hitar@hitar.org Field Crop, 2024, Vol.7, No.1 doi: 10.5376/fc.2024.07.0003 Received: 05 Jan., 2024 Accepted: 08 Feb., 2024 Published: 25 Feb., 2024 Copyright © 2024 Li, This is an open access article published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Preferred citation for this article: Li A., 2024, Economic and environmental impacts of mechanized versus manual sugarcane harvesting, Field Crop, 7(1): 17-26 (doi: 10.5376/fc.2024.07.0003) Abstract This article explores the economic and environmental impacts of mechanized versus manual methods of sugarcane harvesting. Research shows that mechanized harvesting can significantly improve production efficiency, reduce labor costs, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions in sugarcane production. However, this change has also brought about environmental problems such as soil compaction and reduced biodiversity, and has had an impact on employment and cultural traditions of traditional farming communities. Technological innovations such as electric harvesters and precision agriculture applications have the potential to further optimize the harvesting process and reduce environmental impact. Policy recommendations include developing supportive policies, promoting sustainable agricultural practices, and strengthening skills training for agricultural workers to ensure the socioeconomic benefits and environmental sustainability of mechanized harvesting. Keywords Sugarcane harvesting; Mechanization; Environmental impact; Technological innovation; Policy recommendations Discussions of the economic and environmental impacts of sugarcane cultivation and harvesting methods need to be contextualized and important within the context of sugarcane as a globally important crop. Sugarcane is not only the world's largest source of sugar, but also a key raw material for the production of biofuels such as ethanol. As oil prices rise, the market for biofuels, especially ethanol produced from sugar cane, is growing. Economically, sugarcane makes a significant contribution to the national economy of producing countries. For example, Brazil, as the world's largest sugarcane producer, produced more than 654 million tons of sugarcane in the 2020/2021 harvest season (Da Cruz and Machado, 2023). The sugarcane industry not only provides livelihoods to farmers, but also creates numerous employment opportunities and demonstrates potential value in energy and environmental sustainability through the development of sugarcane by-products such as bagasse and molasses. However, the environmental impact of sugarcane growing and processing is also significant. As one of the most water-intensive crops in the world, sugarcane cultivation has significant impacts on many environmentally sensitive areas, such as the Mekong Delta and Atlantic Forest regions. Historical sugarcane cultivation has resulted in significant biodiversity loss. In addition, problems such as soil erosion, chemical fertilizer use and industrial waste emissions during sugarcane production put huge pressure on the environment. These environmental problems are not limited to ecological impacts, but also include impacts on local socioeconomic structures, such as changes in the labor market and the quality of life of farming communities. In the face of these challenges, there are already global actions to reduce the negative impacts of the sugarcane industry. International organizations and companies strive to reduce the environmental and social impacts of sugarcane production by establishing sustainable production standards and certification systems such as Bonsucro (Esteban et al., 2020). This background and data provide the necessary information base to compare the economic and environmental impacts of mechanized versus manual harvesting. This information is particularly important in developing policies and practices to promote sustainable development of the sugarcane industry. Understanding these complex impacts and finding alternatives to mitigate them is key to ensuring that the sugarcane industry can be economically sustainable while minimizing its negative impact on the environment.
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