Rice Straw Biogas Hub

A collaborative climate mitigation project based in the Philippines, funded by Innovate-UK.

Work Package 6

Fostering a climate-resilient environment through sustainable rice straw management practices

SEARCA is a non-profit organization established by the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization and leads on the sixth component of the project to create an environment of climate resilience through rice straw management.

The SEARCA team has been busy attending key events including the Waste No More 2023 Conference, and the International Rice Conference 2023, where they highlighted the potential of utilising waste—specifically rice residues—to produce bioenergy, a solution with the potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions significantly.

To strengthen the global effort, particularly within farming communities, the team has led a series of roundtable discussions (Laguna and Nueva Ecija eye rice straw use for bioenergy). These sessions emphasised the urgent need to enhance rice straw management by promoting alternative disposal methods, including bioenergy production, fertilizer, mulching, livestock feed, and mushroom substrate.

The team also led a training course titled "Biogas Production from Agricultural Wastes," which was aimed at agricultural officers and lead farmers. This training deepened participants' understanding of biogas production from agricultural residues and reinforced climate mitigation practices.

Following their participation in the CAFC and PAFC sectoral meetings, the team was invited to join the Regional Agricultural and Fishery Council (RAFC) Sectoral Meeting. This platform allowed them to present their advocacy to key stakeholders, including chairpersons and representatives from the Philippine Department of Agriculture's (DA) Rice Banner Program, RAFC, PAFC chapters in Laguna, Rizal, and Quezon, as well as sectoral committees for poultry and livestock, coconut, rice, other staple foods, and fisheries and aquaculture.

With the continuing effort toward popularizing rice straw management, SEARCA established a partnership with Straw Innovations and the Provincial Agricultural and Fishery Council (PAFC) Laguna, formalising a collaboration toward sustainable agricultural practices.

To further gauge the farmers’ perception of climate change and bioenergy adoption, the team will be conducting a roundtable discussion among different stakeholders.

Toward the end of the project, the team aims to provide a meaningful impact on the community by continually participating in various engagement activities, and eventually creating an enabling environment for the next generation.