When rice straw is recognized as a strategic biomass resource, not just a post-harvest waste product, rice fields will not only provide food but also create new added value for farmers, businesses, and the region's green economy . - Photo: VGP/LS
From by-products to 'strategic biomass resources'
The workshop is built on the scientific foundation of the RiceEco Project, funded by the Mekong-Korea Cooperation Fund for the period 2023-2025, focusing on developing and scaling up sustainable straw management solutions for the Mekong Delta and neighboring countries in the Mekong Subregion.
Dr. Nguyen Van Hung, a senior agricultural expert at IRRI and head of the RiceEco project team, said that straw management technology solutions have been developed and applied in the Mekong Delta, then replicated in Cambodia, Thailand, Myanmar, Laos, etc., with adjustments to suit local conditions.
In particular, the "Mechanized straw management solution towards emission reduction and circular agriculture" has been recognized as a "Technical Advancement" of Vietnam and is encouraged for priority application by the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment. More importantly, this solution has become a key component of the high-quality, low-emission rice production process in the Mekong Delta, forming the basis for the 1 million hectare high-quality, low-emission rice project in the Mekong Delta.
Pilot rice cultivation models applying straw management according to circular agriculture principles have shown that straw is indeed a biomass resource if properly managed. Results show a reduction of up to 3 tons of CO₂ equivalent per hectare compared to completely burying straw in flooded fields, while rice yield increased by 10-15% when using organic fertilizer produced from straw.
In addition, the EasyFarm application – one of the products partially funded by the RiceEco project – has been tested with over 2,000 farmers. This application connects farmers with mechanized straw baling services and straw purchasing markets, creating a digital platform for farmers to directly transact with businesses, increase their income, and gradually change their straw handling habits towards environmentally friendly practices.
In his opening remarks at the workshop, Dr. Robert Caudwell, Head of IRRI's Representative Office in Vietnam, emphasized a new vision for rice straw: "Rice straw is not a problem to be managed, but a solution to be exploited." According to him, through experience working in many Asian countries, IRRI has witnessed the transformation of rice straw into compost, animal feed, mushroom cultivation, etc., which both reduces emissions and air pollution and creates new income for farmers.
In Vietnam, IRRI is working closely with the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, local authorities, and cooperatives to implement sustainable solutions – key components of the 1 million hectare high-quality, low-emission rice project in the Mekong Delta. "Let this workshop be a catalyst for sparking new collaborations, inspiring bold ideas, and laying the foundation for a thriving circular straw economy in the Mekong region," urged Dr. Robert Caudwell.
Dr. Robert Caudwell: Straw is not just a problem to manage, but a solution to exploit - Photo: VGP/LS
完善 policies to unlock the straw market.
From the perspective of the management agency, Mr. Le Duc Thinh, Director of the Department of Cooperative Economics and Rural Development (Ministry of Agriculture and Environment), believes that straw management is entering a new phase, directly linked to Vietnam's major commitments on green growth and net zero emissions.
He emphasized that, in the context of the Government's approval of the Project for 1 million hectares of high-quality, low-emission rice linked to green growth and the Net Zero commitment by 2050, straw management is not just a purely technical issue, but has become a strategic pillar of green transformation in the rice industry. If the straw problem is not thoroughly addressed, the goal of reducing emissions and upgrading the rice value chain will be very difficult to achieve.
Based on that experience, Director Le Duc Thinh outlined three key tasks.
Firstly, it is necessary to improve the institutional and legal framework to recognize rice straw as a biomass resource, not a byproduct , and to issue technical standards and regulations on collection, storage, transportation, reuse, etc., creating a legal foundation for the sustainable development of the rice straw market.
Secondly, the value chain must be reorganized with cooperatives playing a central role . Cooperatives should not only provide mechanized straw collection services and organize collection points, but also act as a "bridge" linking with businesses that process organic fertilizers, biochar, biomass pellets, and other value-added products, helping to create a stable supply and share value more fairly with farmers.
Thirdly, it is necessary to strongly mobilize financial resources and integrate carbon mechanisms. “We must mobilize financial resources and integrate carbon mechanisms, utilize supply chain credit packages, linkage support mechanisms under Decree 98/ND-CP, credit funds and ODA, and promptly build a measurement-reporting-verification (MRV) system for rice straw, integrating it into the carbon credit mechanism. This will create clear economic incentives for people and businesses to participate in sustainable models,” Mr. Le Duc Thinh suggested.
From an industry perspective, Mr. Le Thanh Tung, Vice President and General Secretary of VIETRISA, affirmed: "Sustainable straw management is a crucial pillar for the project to cultivate 1 million hectares of high-quality, low-emission rice in the Mekong Delta to achieve its emission reduction goals. This is not only a technical requirement but also a significant economic opportunity for farmers and businesses."
Mr. Huynh Van Thon: Income from rice straw not only helps farmers offset production costs, but also encourages them to maintain rice cultivation, in the context of rice farmers being entrusted with the responsibility of ensuring national food security - Photo: VGP/LS
Businesses 'awaken' the value of straw.
From a research perspective, Dr. Nguyen Hong Tin (Can Tho University), representing the research group collaborating between Can Tho University and IRRI, announced the comprehensive research results from the RiceEco 2025 project after surveying 385 subjects in 3 provinces, revealing a realistic picture of the flow of rice straw from the fields to the end consumers. The study shows that traders are "leading" the chain with 32.4% of the straw. Straw is mainly used for mushroom cultivation (17.9%), livestock farming (5.9%), and crop cultivation (2.7%). Of these, mushroom cultivation yields the highest profit (77.9%), with a total economic value of VND 6,671 billion/year.
However, the straw value chain still reveals many limitations: lack of quality standards, absence of a formal trading platform, weak logistics, and lack of preferential credit. Dr. Nguyen Hong Tin proposed: It is necessary to establish the legal status of "straw as a biomass resource," issue standards, provide credit support, and integrate straw into the carbon mechanism to form a more transparent and sustainable market.
A highlight of the workshop was the participation of many businesses and cooperatives directly implementing circular economy models in agriculture in the southern provinces. Practical stories from "fields, factories, and laboratories" showed that rice straw is gradually moving beyond its role as a byproduct and becoming a new link in the rice value chain.
To partially answer this question, Mr. Huynh Van Thon, Chairman of Loc Troi Agricultural Group, shared: Along with the new perspective from the State, scientists, and the business community, rice straw has been viewed very differently. From being considered a hindrance to production and difficult to process after harvest, rice straw is now seen as a valuable product when technology is invested in its collection and processing. According to him, this is a significant additional income for the rice industry in general and for individual farmers in particular.
Income from rice straw not only helps farmers offset production costs but also encourages them to maintain rice cultivation, especially given that rice farmers are entrusted with the responsibility of ensuring national food security, serving as one of the pillars of the economy, and contributing to Vietnam's position in the international rice market.
With the current trend of scientific and technological development, Mr. Huynh Van Thon believes that almost all parts of the rice plant can be processed into high-value products. Rice grains are gradually becoming an "intermediate product" in a broader product chain, from straw, husks, bran, broken rice to rice-based products, all of which can be extracted into materials serving daily life, agriculture, industry, healthcare, beauty, etc.
“For a long time, we have been gradually investing in straw processing, such as processing straw mushrooms, and collaborating with Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology to solve the problem of rice milling waste by using crushed rice husks to produce bioplastics that decompose very quickly. This shows that we need to make more effort to turn aspirations and potential into reality, bringing practical value to life today,” said Mr. Huynh Van Thon.
The ASEAN Learning Alliance and the lesson of 'turning waste into assets'
Not only Vietnam, but many countries in the region are also facing the challenge of managing rice straw in a more environmentally friendly and economically sustainable way. From this common need, the ASEAN Learning Alliance on Circular Economy from Rice Straw was formed and has become a "bridge" for cooperation in the region, where parties share experiences, technologies, and business models.
Dr. Rica Flor, Senior Scientific Expert at IRRI, emphasized the significance and impact of the Alliance: "The ASEAN Learning Alliance on Circular Economy from Straw is promoting learning among stakeholders and cross-border cooperation. Over 100 delegates from five countries (Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar, and Thailand), including farmers, cooperatives, extension officers, businesses, and policymakers, have come together to share knowledge, technology, and practical business models. The Alliance not only replicates technical solutions and shares effective implementation experiences but also builds a sustainable cooperation network in the region.”
According to her, each country has different conditions, but the challenges of straw management are similar. Through the Alliance, parties can learn from both successes and failures, adapt models to suit their specific contexts, and work towards the common goal of green agriculture and emission reduction. “This is the long-term impact – transforming shared experiences into concrete action commitments, turning connections into sustainable innovation in each farming community,” emphasized Dr. Rica Flor.
In that picture, Cambodia is cited as a prime example of the journey to "transform waste into assets." The country produces approximately 10 million tons of rice straw annually, of which 3 million tons are burned in the fields, leading to nutrient loss, greenhouse gas emissions, and degradation of soil ecosystems. Dr. Rica Joy Flor stated that the research team used GIS maps to track straw burning over 22 years, thereby developing a model for mechanized compost production. The results showed a significant increase in rice and vegetable yields, and the restoration of soil biodiversity even in areas with a long history of straw burning.
The strategy for replicating the model in Cambodia is built on nine pillars, ranging from raising community awareness and transferring diverse technology packages (animal feed, mushrooms, compost), to designing financial support programs and building a suitable policy framework. The core lesson is the need for close collaboration with the community, reliance on scientific evidence, and co-designing strategies with stakeholders to ensure sustainability.
From pilot projects to the straw market and carbon credits
Based on research findings, pilot models, and international lessons shared at the workshop, experts unanimously agreed that the "scenario" of burning rice straw needs to be replaced by a closed-loop value chain in which rice straw is collected, processed, reused, and properly valued as a biomass resource .
With over 100 million tons of rice straw produced annually in the Mekong Subregion, if managed according to circular economic principles, it would be a crucial input for industries producing organic fertilizers, biomaterials, energy pellets, livestock, mushrooms, etc., while also serving as a potential carbon credit source linked to the region's emission reduction programs.
To realize that potential, along with perfecting policy mechanisms as proposed by management agencies, many opinions suggest that it is necessary to standardize the measurement-reporting-verification (MRV) process for straw management activities. Digital platforms, such as EasyFarm, can become effective tools to help track the flow of straw from fields to factories, ensure data transparency, and build trust for investors and carbon credit funds.
Le Son
Source: https://baochinhphu.vn/rom-ra-mo-sinh-khoi-moi-cua-vung-mekong-102251119121626154.htm
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