We’ve been implementing comprehensive solutions across the value chain to address stubble burning sustainably. At its core, Project Parali seeks to offer scalable, farmer-first solutions that replace the destructive cycle of stubble burning with more sustainable, economically rational, and environmentally responsible alternatives. By focusing on deep, community-rooted change rather than superficial interventions, the project creates a framework for sustained environmental stewardship and farmer-led innovation. Our work rests on five interconnected pillars: Sensitization, Education, Demonstration, Stakeholder Engagement, and Catalyst for Collective Action.

Pillar I: Sensitization

Project Parali begins by rethinking how conversations on stubble burning are framed within rural communities. We work to expand the dialogue from one of penalties and prohibition to one that builds shared understanding and local ownership.

• We invest in creating awareness using regional and community-level tools such as public campaigns, interpersonal dialogues, and informal networks that enable repeated engagement. These efforts make the environmental and health effects of stubble burning visible in a way that farmers can relate to, moving beyond statistics to everyday impact.
• Crucially, we focus on promoting behavioural change by encouraging a shift in mindset: from short-term expediency to long-term agronomic and financial benefit. We offer real-time alternatives, reinforced through field observations, season-wise follow-ups, and peer interaction. These touchpoints help farmers assess trade-offs practically.
• Alongside this, driving local advocacy remains critical. Project Parali engages with local farmer groups, gram sabha representatives, and agricultural influencers to build a consistent and community-owned narrative around the viability of not burning. When trust and knowledge come from within the village, transitions become more durable.

Pillar II: Education

Transformation at scale demands more than awareness. It requires the consistent transfer of actionable knowledge. We ground our educational efforts in the principle that learning should be iterative, rooted in local context, and connected to real decisions farmers make.

• Through knowledge dissemination workshops, field-based sessions, and visual materials, we break down the science and economics of residue management. Whether explaining how residue burning affects microbial life or how it impacts fertilizer efficiency, we ensure farmers have access to relevant and practical information.
• To support decision-making further, we enable resource sharing: from simplified machinery comparison sheets to soil cards and crop-cycle calendars. These tools are made available in vernacular formats and offered through both in-person and digital channels.
• Recognising the long-term nature of the challenge, youth engagement is embedded into our work. We collaborate with schools and local educational institutions to promote environmental responsibility and agricultural innovation. Through events, challenges, and mentorship, we involve young people in the broader movement towards sustainable farming.

Pillar III: Demonstration

• We understand that familiarity and trust often come from what one can see. Project Parali therefore anchors its approach in direct, real-time engagement with solutions. We organise on-ground demonstrations during critical stages of the crop cycle, especially post-harvest. These sessions introduce farmers to different residue management technologies such as cutters, balers, and decomposers, allowing them to see ease of operation, time impact, and compatibility with their field conditions.
• To build sustained credibility, we work on establishing model farms where no-burn methods are practiced across seasons. These serve as accessible, relatable proof points that connect sustainable techniques to soil regeneration, yield improvement, and overall input optimisation.
• We actively invest in sharing farmer success stories, especially from within the same district or farmer type. When one smallholder sees another benefit tangibly from not burning, the conversation shifts from resistance to possibility. These stories are collected, documented, and circulated through multiple trusted channels.

Pillar IV: Stakeholder Engagement

Residue management is not the responsibility of farmers alone. It is tied to how markets function, how resources flow, and how institutions respond. Project Parali works to convene and strengthen partnerships across this broader ecosystem.

• Our work begins with promoting sustainable farming and circular economies. This includes identifying downstream uses of parali such as fodder, fuel pellets, compost, and packaging raw material, and aligning these with industry demand. We bring together stakeholders to explore market standards, pricing, and off-take models.
• A practical barrier remains ensuring timely equipment access. We address this by mapping availability, improving booking systems, and coordinating through panchayats, cooperatives, and rental hubs to ensure farmers have the right tools when they need them. Our efforts ensure the short window between harvesting and sowing doesn't become an excuse for burning.
• As we build these structures, connecting farmers to industry networks becomes essential. Whether it is linking them to biomass aggregators or entrepreneurs building straw-based businesses, we facilitate market access and price discovery so that managing parali becomes a source of value, not burden.
• In parallel, we focus on redefining parali as a resource, both culturally and economically. By supporting income-generating models around residue, we remove the waste tag altogether. This is closely tied to our work on empowering agri-preneurs and women entrepreneurs, where we provide capacity-building and facilitation support for localised businesses, from baling and logistics to crafting parali-based products.

Pillar V: Catalyst for Collective Action

We believe that the transition away from stubble burning cannot rest on isolated actions. It requires the alignment of incentives, systems, and capacities. Project Parali is designed to activate this kind of coordinated response.

• Through collaborative platforms, we bring together farmer groups, research institutions, technology developers, and local government. These spaces allow for joint problem-solving, learning exchanges, and transparent planning, ensuring that all actors remain invested and informed.
• We also scale impact through public–private partnerships. By combining the reach of public schemes with the agility and innovation of the private sector, we support co-investment models for equipment, training, and enterprise incubation. Our partnerships are designed to unlock both funding and trust.
• Central to long-term success are community-driven solutions. We work with villages to set up committees that oversee stubble management practices, mediate resource access, and enable peer accountability. These bodies foster resilience and enable collective commitment to alternatives.

Finally, we are advancing the productization of parali by facilitating R&D, business design, and early-stage enterprise development focused on commercially viable uses of crop residue. Whether it is fibreboard, packaging, or biofuels, our work ensures that innovations in stubble-use align with farmer needs and market potential.