This article presents the CIMO model (Context, Interventions, Mechanisms, Outputs) applied to rice straw management, highlighting the need for ecological alternatives for its handling. The study addresses the environmental problems of conventional management practices and proposes the CIMO model as a framework for designing, implementing, and evaluating more efficient and sustainable management strategies later. Through the adaptation of the CIMO model, interventions that promote the circular economy are explored, transforming rice straw from waste to a valuable raw material. A significant contribution of this study is to provide researchers with a theoretical framework built from a robust methodology that allows for the further development of various empirical studies. The results facilitate socio-technical transitions for the sustainability of agri-food industries.