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able sourcing of quality paddy). Rising income levels also stimulate a shift towards
consuming more processed products and prepared foods bought outside the home
(Reardon et al. 2014; Reardon 2015). Together with the development of the industrial
and manufacturing sectors and their concomitant demand for energy and fiber, this
provides tremendous opportunities for intersectoral upgrading of rice value chains
(Nguyen et al. 2017). Intersectoral upgrading of rice value chains may provide alternative income opportunities for value chain actors by diversification of incomegenerating activities and by adding value to existing rice products and/or byproducts
(e.g., rice straw, rice husks, and rice bran). It also increases the sustainability of rice
value chains by providing alternatives to existing unsustainable uses of byproducts,
such as the burning of rice straw.
11.2 Mapping Rice Straw Value Chains in Vietnam,
Cambodia, and the Philippines
Figure 11.1 shows a schematic diagram that maps rice straw value chains based on
a multi-stakeholder workshop series conducted in Vietnam, Cambodia, and the
Philippines under the BMZ-IRRI rice straw management project (IRRI 2019).
Rice straw value chains consist of three main functions: (1) harvesting, (2) collection and pretreatment, and (3) rice straw-based production and rice straw markets. It is worth noting again that, unlike food products whose end-markets are food
consumers (via national and international food markets), rice straw generally ends
up being used as an input for the production of other food and nonfood products.
The end-markets of rice straw, as such, are often input markets. Currently, in the
studied countries, rice straw is mainly used in the production of mushroom, ruminant feed, compost, mulching, and lining materials for the transportation of fragile
fruits (e.g., watermelon) due to concrete, significant market demand for these strawbased products. Even though other new technologies and utilizations of rice straw
(e.g., biochar, briquettes, bioenergy, biodegradable products, biofiber, etc.) are also
already introduced, markets barely exist for these products (although they are
emerging). Therefore, the markets for these relatively new straw-based products are
categorized as “future markets”.
The overall rice straw value chain process involves the collection of in-field rice
straw and then transportation of the straw to end-users for their straw-based production activities. Specifically, rice straw that remains on the field after rice harvesting
is collected, usually by contract service providers (who collect straw for a fee paid
by rice farmers) or straw traders (who purchase in-field straw from farmers and then
collect straw at their costs). Rice straw collection involves physical pretreatment of
the straw, i.e., transforming straw that is spread around the field into various forms
such as loose, baled, compacted, or chopped straw, depending on the specific subsequent uses.
11 Rice Straw Value Chains and Case Study on Straw Mushroom in Vietnam’s…
able sourcing of quality paddy). Rising income levels also stimulate a shift towards
consuming more processed products and prepared foods bought outside the home
(Reardon et al. 2014; Reardon 2015). Together with the development of the industrial
and manufacturing sectors and their concomitant demand for energy and fiber, this
provides tremendous opportunities for intersectoral upgrading of rice value chains
(Nguyen et al. 2017). Intersectoral upgrading of rice value chains may provide alternative income opportunities for value chain actors by diversification of incomegenerating activities and by adding value to existing rice products and/or byproducts
(e.g., rice straw, rice husks, and rice bran). It also increases the sustainability of rice
value chains by providing alternatives to existing unsustainable uses of byproducts,
such as the burning of rice straw.
11.2 Mapping Rice Straw Value Chains in Vietnam,
Cambodia, and the Philippines
Figure 11.1 shows a schematic diagram that maps rice straw value chains based on
a multi-stakeholder workshop series conducted in Vietnam, Cambodia, and the
Philippines under the BMZ-IRRI rice straw management project (IRRI 2019).
Rice straw value chains consist of three main functions: (1) harvesting, (2) collection and pretreatment, and (3) rice straw-based production and rice straw markets. It is worth noting again that, unlike food products whose end-markets are food
consumers (via national and international food markets), rice straw generally ends
up being used as an input for the production of other food and nonfood products.
The end-markets of rice straw, as such, are often input markets. Currently, in the
studied countries, rice straw is mainly used in the production of mushroom, ruminant feed, compost, mulching, and lining materials for the transportation of fragile
fruits (e.g., watermelon) due to concrete, significant market demand for these strawbased products. Even though other new technologies and utilizations of rice straw
(e.g., biochar, briquettes, bioenergy, biodegradable products, biofiber, etc.) are also
already introduced, markets barely exist for these products (although they are
emerging). Therefore, the markets for these relatively new straw-based products are
categorized as “future markets”.
The overall rice straw value chain process involves the collection of in-field rice
straw and then transportation of the straw to end-users for their straw-based production activities. Specifically, rice straw that remains on the field after rice harvesting
is collected, usually by contract service providers (who collect straw for a fee paid
by rice farmers) or straw traders (who purchase in-field straw from farmers and then
collect straw at their costs). Rice straw collection involves physical pretreatment of
the straw, i.e., transforming straw that is spread around the field into various forms
such as loose, baled, compacted, or chopped straw, depending on the specific subsequent uses.
11 Rice Straw Value Chains and Case Study on Straw Mushroom in Vietnam’s…