Building Partnerships for Innovative Rice Straw Management: Key to a Greener Future

KLUANG, Malaysia (25-26 October 2024) - Experts from governments, non-government organizations, academia, and industry convened to share challenges on rice straw management, their initiatives, and policies; and identify research gaps, necessary policy interventions, and best practices for knowledge sharing across countries. They also explored the potential of rice straw, often seen as a waste, into valuable resources like bio-pellets at the Kluang Pilot Plant of the Science and Technology Research Partnership for Sustainable Development - Oil Palm Trunk (SATREPS-OPT) project, led by the Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences (JIRCAS). Fourteen international participants from Cambodia, Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, Pakistan, and Japan joined this event co-organized by the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) and the Asian Development Bank (ADB). This event was part of the "Development of rice cropping systems toward carbon neutrality and food security in ASEAN countries" project (MAFF Japan-IRRI project) which is being implemented by IRRI and funded by Japan's Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. It is aligned with Innovation Package 2: Climate Neutrality and Circular Agriculture in the ASEAN-CGIAR Innovate for Food and Nutrition Security Regional Program.

Rice straw management remains challenging in major rice-producing countries across Asia. Many farmers still burn rice straw or incorporate them into flooded fields, resulting in increased greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, air pollution, and loss of nutrients and biodiversity.

Farmers often resort to burning rice straw due to its low market price, limited demand, and few options to add value. Another challenge is the limited access to balers needed for efficient collection, as manual labor is not feasible given the high effort required. Additionally, the short fallow period before the next planting season makes handling rice straw even more difficult. However, growing awareness of the health impacts of burning rice…