WHEN THE HARVEST SEASON TURNS INTO THE “SMOKE SEASON”: WHY DOES THE BURNING OF RICE STRAW STILL LAST?

According to environmental experts, behind the smog pollution caused by straw burning is a chain of deep causes coming from traditional farming practices, gaps in support policies, difficulties in the economy, equipment, and lack of synchronization in law enforcement,…

Every year, at the peak of the harvest season, the suburbs of Hanoi and the Northern Delta are hazy in thick white smoke, obstructing visibility and making it difficult to breathe,…. This smoke does not come from factories or vehicles, but from the burning of straw after harvest. Although the law has banned and warned of an increase in air pollution, the situation persists, becoming a great “environmental pressure”.

Long-standing customs and “private love”

According to the Department of Crop Cultivation and Plant Protection (Ministry of Agriculture and Environment), about 70% of agricultural by-products in the country are still burned; in Hanoi alone, the rate of burning straw in the winter-spring crop is about 20%. Although the Law on Environmental Protection 2020 prohibits this behavior and Decree 45/2022/ND-CP stipulates a fine of up to 3 million VND, the deterrent effect is still limited.

The farmer’s long-standing practice after each crop harvest 

In fact, straw burning activities in rural areas of Vietnam often take place in the evening, in fields far from residential areas, with thin monitoring forces, leading to difficulties in detecting and thoroughly handling them. Although the Law on Environmental Protection 2020 and related Decrees have stipulated sanctions for burning straw, the inspection, supervision, and enforcement in practice are still limited. Many localities face difficulties in human resources, coordination mechanisms, and resources to handle violations, leading to the situation that the act of burning rice straw has not been thoroughly controlled.

Specifically, the People’s Committee of Hanoi has issued Directive 15/CT-UBND 2020 on the management of burning straw and crop by-products, clearly noting: Currently, the burning of rice straw and plant by-products is carried out,… taking place commonly in localities. However, management and supervision in many localities still have many limitations, causing straw burning to increase in Hanoi (2022), Nghe An (2025), Ninh Binh, Thai Binh (2024),…

The phenomenon of burning straw after each harvest by farmers affects the air quality.

In fact, many communes lack full-time officials, so many cases of handling environmental violations are “reconciled”; besides, there are also many communes that are “afraid to collide” when handling violating establishments that are households living for a long time, having a familiar relationship, or making great economic contributions to the locality. The situation of “respect and avoidance” causes violations to be “ignored” instead of being handled in accordance with regulations, leading to the phenomenon of lawlessness and prolonged recidivism.

Mr. Pham Van Son, General Secretary of the Vietnam Association for the Protection of Nature and Environment, Director of the Vietnam Environmental Incident Response Center

Mr. Pham Van Son, General Secretary of the Vietnam Association for the Protection of Nature and Environment – Director of the Vietnam Environmental Incident Response Center, said: “Actually, it is not because we lack regulations or sanctions, but the problem lies in the implementation stage. In many localities, it is because of “private public spells”, that the implementation of sanctions has encountered many barriers. When there is only a document without close supervision and a parallel support mechanism, it is very difficult to change a long-standing practice…”

Economic problem: “Fast – cheap – convenient”?

It can be seen that farmers have chosen the “solution” of burning rice straw not only because of habit, but also because of the economy: Fast, compact, and costless. Meanwhile, alternative methods such as using microbial preparations, composting, or producing biomass pellets require equipment, time, and technical knowledge, which are considered difficult for farmers to access.

The straw consumption market is not stable, the purchase price is low, and it is not enough to compensate for the collection and transportation, making them choose the easiest solution to catch up with the season. The benefits of biological treatment, such as soil improvement, increasing rice yields,… It is only shown after a few crops, while burning straw for an immediate effect is “clean field immediately”.

And although there is a clear legal framework, the implementation at the grassroots is still difficult because of long-standing farming habits, as well as a lack of information on effective straw utilization models. The problem does not lie in waiting for support, but in the fact that people have not seen the immediate and long-term economic benefits of the transition. When connected to the purchasing unit, instructing microbial composting or reusing rice straw, many localities showed a sharp decrease in burning behavior.

GAHP’s project supports farmers in using microbial products to treat rice straw

Meanwhile, rice straw, if properly treated, can completely become an economic source. In the Global Alliance on Health and Pollution (GAHP) 2024 “Reducing Outdoor Burning and Pesticide Use” 2024, under funding from the UK Government through the Ministry of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), in collaboration with the Vietnam Association for Nature and Environment Protection (VACNE) in 2023-2024,  There have been many pilot models in An Giang, Ninh Binh, Dong Nai showing that when using microbial preparations to treat rice straw right in the field, emissions are significantly reduced, soil is improved better, production costs are reduced, and productivity increases. Estimates from the test model show that each hectare of rice can bring in from several million to tens of millions of VND if the straw is used properly.

At the same time, instead of focusing on subsidies or supporting machinery, it is important to help people see the direct economic benefits from taking advantage of straw, through the mechanism: Selling to purchasing units, using as organic fertilizers, biomass pellets, or mushroom growing materials. When the output is clearly connected, the new straw can become a resource. The core thing is to provide information and practical models for people to confidently transform, and avoid creating a psychology of dependence on support. When they see the effect, the community will actively follow without waiting…

Experts in the GAHP – VACNE Project support farmers to use rice straw as mushrooms instead of burning it 

Mr. Pham Van Son also said that if sanctions are applied without suitable alternatives, it will be difficult for farmers to change. Therefore, it is necessary to create real benefits so that they can see that: Not burning and treating rice straw with microorganisms can bring advantages to farming and increase income. When a model is successful, the spillover effect will lead many other localities to follow suit, forming a new habit.

From “worthless” to “resource”

Straw was once considered worthless, an agricultural waste,… However, now, in the context of climate change and the transition to “green” agriculture, these by-products (including straw, corn residue, potatoes,…) are becoming a valuable resource. Instead of burning, rice straw can become production materials that create sustainable agricultural value, such as biofuels, biomass pellets, growing mushrooms from straw, etc.

Farmers are harvesting straw to turn agricultural by-products into “resources”

Thus, to be able to turn agricultural by-products that are considered “worthless” into “resources”, it is necessary to have the synchronous participation of State management agencies, local authorities, businesses, and people. Only when the policy is accompanied by practice, the law is strictly enforced, and farmers know how to take advantage of the benefits of agricultural by-products in a specific way, can the practice of burning rice straw end.

And sustainable transformation does not start from waiting, but from the proactive actions of each link: Farmers collect and sell straw; purchasing and processing enterprises to create new products; Local governments play a role in connecting supply and demand. When existing economic benefits and by-product markets are unleashed, old behaviors will change on their own, turning straw into the value of a green, circular, and low-emission agriculture.

SOS