Dear Editors,

I hope this message finds you well. I am writing to propose a chapter contribution for your forthcoming edited volume, "From Linear to Circular Business Models: AI-Driven Sustainable Growth in Emerging Markets" (Palgrave Macmillan), in response to the open call published via Springer Nature Research Communities.

I am Sajadul Islam Emon, an undergraduate researcher in the Department of Agricultural Science at Daffodil International University, Dhaka, Bangladesh. My research interests span agricultural biotechnology, crop residue management, and sustainable agricultural systems in South Asian context.

Title:From Stubble to Sustainability: AI-Enabled Agricultural Residue Valorization and Circular Bioeconomy Transitions Among Smallholder Farmers in Bangladesh

Thematic Alignment:

This chapter primarily aligns with Topic 7 (Agriculture, Food Systems, and Resource Recovery) while drawing meaningfully from Topics 5, 11, and 14 that incorporates nformal sector integration, social dimensions of rural transitions, and a comparative South Asian perspective. It contributes a Bangladesh-specific empirical and policy lens that is currently underrepresented in the global circular economy literature.

Abstract:

Agricultural crop residue is one of the largest underutilized biomass resources in South Asia, with an estimated resource of 30-35 million tonnes of agricultural crop residue being produced in Bangladesh every year, of which the major component is the rice straw, jute stalks, wheat straw and sugarcane bagasse. For the 16 million smallholder farm households in the country, that's not a cost, it's a potential circular resource that can fuel a rural bioeconomy.

The chapter explores the potential of AI technologies to revolutionize the way biomass is managed in Bangladesh, from biomass yield prediction using ML to monitoring residues with IoT to optimizing AD processes with AI systems that create a circular biomass value chain. Based on the theoretical framework of the circular bioeconomy and the socio-technical transition model, the chapter describes the status quo of the residue valorization ecosystem in Bangladesh, highlighting relevant bottlenecks in the collection of feedstocks, decentralized biogas production, recovery of biofertilizers, and market access of smallholders.

The chapter introduces a conceptual framework for residue valorisation with artificial intelligence adapted to the specific conditions of low infrastructure rural areas, where the access to data is weak, the farms are small holdings and the informal chain has a major role in aggregating biomass. It analyzes critically the application of precision agriculture AI technologies designed for large farming systems to the context of the smallholder, and identifies the adaptations needed. The socially inclusive pathway for technology dissemination via digital extension services, mobile based AI advisory services and community-level biogas cooperatives is examined.

Comparisons are drawn with similar transitions in circular bioeconomy in India, Vietnam and Indonesia for developing policy recommendations for the Government of Bangladesh. The chapter concludes that AI-powered agricultural waste valorisation can be a replicable solution for Bangladesh to achieve SDG 2, SDG 7, SDG 12, and SDG 13 with a smallholder equity lens.

Keywords: Agricultural residue valorization, circular bioeconomy, smallholder farmers, anaerobic digestion, AI in agriculture, Bangladesh, South Asia, biomass, rural sustainability

I am prepared to submit a full chapter of approximately 7,000–9,000 words within the timeline stipulated by the editorial team following abstract acceptance. I am also open to co-authorship arrangements with researchers whose work complements this chapter's scope, should the editors consider such collaboration beneficial to the volume.

I would be grateful for any feedback on the suitability of this proposal and welcome a conversation at your convenience.

Thank you sincerely for this opportunity and for your dedication to producing a volume of this scope and importance.

Warm regards,

Sajadul Islam Emon

Department of Agricultural Science

Daffodil International University

Savar, Dhaka, Bangladesh

Email: emonkhan56481@gmail.com