A team of researchers led by staff from IDiBE – UMH, in collaboration with the technological center INESCOP. Centro de Innovación y Tecnología, the agricultural association La Unió Llauradora i Ramadera, and the company Analco Auxiliar Calzado, S.A.U, presented yesterday, February 18, in Sueca (Valencia province), the results of various projects focused on the valorization of rice straw, yielding very promising outcomes. The event was inaugurated by the Secretary-General of LA UNIÓ, Carles Peris, and the Regional Secretary for Environment and Territory, Raúl Mérida.
More than 120 attendees, including farmers, scientists, public institutions, technology providers, research centers, and financial entities, participated in this event, where circular economy-based solutions were presented to add value to rice straw waste—a residue that amounts to 50,000 to 60,000 tons per season in the Albufera of Valencia alone.
Under the theme “From Problem to Possible Solutions: Results on the Utilization of Rice Straw,” key speakers included Henoc Pérez (INESCOP), Jose Ramon Martinez Guillen (IDiBE), José Antonio López (Analco), Pablo Sanz Fernández (AIMPLAS – Technological Institute of Plastics), and Pepe Morán and Pepe Castro (LA UNIÓ). The event was moderated and coordinated by Enrique Barrajón-Catalán (IDiBE-UMH), the principal investigator of the involved projects.
Image of Enrique Barrajón at the event.
The presented results stem from the Biotech-Rice project, funded by the Ministry of Science and Innovation of Spain, and the Straw4Footwear project, funded by the Valencian Innovation Agency (IVACE+i Innovación). Both initiatives focus on valorizing rice straw by developing new ingredients for the footwear and cosmetics industries and have demonstrated technical, economic, and social feasibility to all stakeholders involved in rice straw management. The event concluded with a speech by Yasmin Fermin, Head of the Agri-Food Division at the Subdivision of Scientific-Technical Thematic Programs of the State Research Agency.
IDiBE staff attending the event.