Insights of Circular economics practices in rice cultivation and processing - a review

Abstract

Reusing waste through various activities and efficient and effective use of resources have led to the circular economy as a further growth opportunity. The circular economy has spread in various directions like agriculture and industry. The main focus of circular economy is to minimize or eliminate the use of non-renewable inputs in a production system and to maximize or optimize the reuse of these materials within the same system. In addition, circular agriculture is expected to reduce environmental impacts through soil regeneration and input use. Activities in rice cultivation include sowing, fertilizing, watering, and harvesting, and these activities can be done using biological and other agricultural methods in an environmentally friendly way instead of chemical fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides, and further minimizing the accumulation of waste. Burning rice straw and husks emits lot of CO2 into the environment. However, these can be used as raw materials for various industries. Rice residue is an excellent source of nutrients and beneficial for human health. Thus, circular economy methods can be used in rice cultivation by cultivating more productive and suitable rice varieties, reducing the amount of waste released into the environment in various ways, and using discarded waste as raw materials for industries. This study focuses on determining the applicability of circular economy methods to rice cultivation and processing. Accordingly, it appears that in the rice industry, circular economy methods are applied to reduce the release of unnecessary air and waste into the environment and effectively reuse the waste. This will create an eco-friendly and safe environment.