From Burning to Utilization: Policy Evolution and Regional Differences in Crop Straw Resource Management

: China produces large volumes of crop straw across diverse agricultural regions, making open-field burning and resource utilization persistent concerns in rural environmental governance. Using 254 policy documents issued by the central government and 30 provincial-level governments from 1999 to 2023, this study develops a three-dimensional “policy instruments–stages–objectives” framework to examine policy evolution and regional differences. The results identify three stages: the initial stage (1999–2008), the comprehensive promotion stage (2008–2016), and the targeted implementation stage (2016–present). Policy priorities gradually shifted from controlling open-field burning to strengthening comprehensive straw utilization capacity, while environmental instruments remained dominant. The central government relied more heavily on organizational leadership and capacity-building mechanisms. In the Huang-Huai-Hai region, fiscal investment and enforcement and supervision were used at similar frequencies, whereas enforcement and supervision were used slightly more frequently than fiscal investment in Northeast China. The geographical focus of governance shifted from the Huang-Huai-Hai region in the earlier stages to Northeast China during the targeted implementation stage. Regional policy mixes also reflected differences in cropping systems, farm size, climate, and collection, storage, and transportation conditions. Overall, China’s straw governance has moved from behavioral regulation toward resource-oriented management, highlighting the importance of policy mixes tailored to regional conditions.