Rice Straw Overview: Availability, Properties, and Management Practices

Abstract

Managing rice straw remains a challenge in Asia where more rice, and hence, more straw, is grown each year to meet rising demand. The widespread burning of rice straw is a major contributor to dangerously high levels of air pollution in South- and Southeast Asia associated with health issues. At the same time, researchers, engineers, and entrepreneurs are developing a range of alternative uses that turn rice straw into a commodity around which sustainable value chains can be built to benefit rural people. The best alternative to burning rice straw in any one location depends on context. However, available information remains scattered in different media and no publication yet exists that helps people learn about, and decide between, rice straw management options. This book provides a synthesis of these options and integrates knowledge on relevant areas: sustainable rice straw management practices, rice straw value chains, and business models. The book is also based on new research and practice data from research organizations and innovators in Vietnam, the Philippines, and Cambodia.