Rice Straw-Based Circular Economy for Improved Biodiversity and Sustainability (RiceEco)

Vietnam and Cambodia play an important role in the food security of the Mekong region. Agriculture, particularly rice production in these countries is fraught with varied issues, such as climate change vulnerabilities and low productivity. At the same time, rice production has a high environmental footprint. Rice straw burning further exacerbates the problem.

The challenges of collecting rice straw after harvest, limited labor, the low economic value of straw and the lack of knowledge on sustainable straw management and value addition, result in the predominant practice of straw burning. In-field burning of rice straw results in biodiversity loss, soil nutrient loss, and human health problems. This issue is a government priority of both Vietnam and Cambodia. However, burning is still a predominant practice because of the limited integration of straw in the rice value chain, lack of scale-appropriate technologies, and issues in crop management, markets, and stakeholder preferences.To address the said problems and barriers, we will prototype and catalyze a rice straw-based circular economy (RiceEco) for increased rice income and decreased carbon footprint. RiceEco includes sustainable rice contract farming, rice straw-based bio-fertilizer, bio-plastics, and urban agriculture, coupled with the promotion of ICT-based tools for optimizing rice straw logistics. Moreover, it is guided by proven business models and behavior change interventions targeted at different stakeholder groups. Ultimately, the technical and social interventions together will upgrade agrifood value chains, improve biodiversity and ecosystem services, and increase farmers' income. This project's results provide a framework for scaling straw management interventions in Southeast and South Asian countries. The project's outcomes will substantially contribute to MKCF priority sectors, particularly Agriculture and Rural Development and Environment. Furthermore, the cross-country knowledge exchange will help to effectively upgrade the Southeast Asian regional rice value chains and contribute to strengthening the MKCF cooperation.    Read more...