Straw innovations | Green rice drying technology in the Philippines

Rice is the world’s #1 food crop. However, for every kg of grain we eat, about the same amount of straw is produced. Rice straw is the greatest environmental disaster never heard of: 750 million tons are produced each year in Asia, of which 300 million tons are burned for disposal. Much of the rest is left to rot in the fields where it emits methane – a greenhouse gas (GHG) more than 80 times worse than CO2. As a result, rice is responsible for more GHG emissions than the whole aviation industry.

Straw Innovations aims to collect and upcycle rice straw in economically viable and environmentally friendly ways. The company has already developed improved harvesters that maximize rice straw collection and reduce grain loss. Now, it plans to power a rice drying machine with the rice straw.