English: Sugar cane field burning is carried out before harvesting the cane to make the process easier and require less manual labor. It takes place during the harvest season, lasting from May to November (dry season) in the South and East, (Cannavam Rípoli, 2000) with the peak of the burning season being in August. ((1)Lara, 2005) In the burning process, the field is set fire to and the leaves are burned off of the stalks. About 80% of the “trash,” including straw, the tops, and green and dry leaves, are burned off. These components constitute about 25% of the entire sugar cane stalk. The burning kills microorganisms and burns the trash, both of which keep the soil rich when left in the fields. In place of burning the cane, the leaves could be removed and burned to create steam for electricity generation or be converted into fuel themselves. (Cannavam Rípoli, 2000)