The coordination and supervision team of HealthyDiets4Africa project with a six-member delegation led by Prof. Michael Frei and Dr. Tiziana De Magistris carried out a working visit that started on Monday 18 March and ended on 23 March 2024. The objective of the visit was to review the activities carried out to date in the project implementation by the different partners (AfricaRice, CERFAM, OIC-CI, ESST) in Côte d'Ivoire. This working visit was marked by the sharing of experiences, strategic planning sessions, visits to the premises of partner institutions, and knowledge sharing on scien ..read more

Honoring Excellence and Rice Research Diplomacy! November 21, 2024 - Dr Baboucarr Manneh, Director General of AfricaRice has been awarded a prestigious presidential citation by the Ambassador of the Republic of Korea in Côte d'Ivoire. This esteemed recognition celebrates Dr. Manneh's unwavering dedication to advancing international development cooperation and rice research diplomacy, contributing significantly to the national and social development of the Republic of Korea.   Dr Manneh has been among the pioneers who initiated in 2015 the negotiation for the establishment of Korea-Africa ..read more

In sub-Saharan Africa, women produce up to 80% of food for household consumption and for sale on local markets, according to the World Bank and the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO). In the case of staple crops such as rice, it is mainly women who are responsible for sowing, weeding, harvesting, processing and selling this agricultural product. However, poverty based on the estimated cost of basic needs affects many women farmers. If most agricultural programmes now target them as a priority, it is because the conditions for achieving food security and agricultural development depend on ..read more

Working Together - The CGIAR-CIRAD-IRD-NARS-NPPO workshop (CCINNOW) for a more robust pest and disease surveillance network in Africa   March 4, 2024 – Abidjan - CGIAR, in collaboration with French institutions, plans to support the revitalization of research and capacity-building partnerships with National Agricultural Research Systems (NARS) and National Plant Protection Organizations (NPPOs) in plant pest and disease surveillance through the CGIAR-CIRAD-IRD-NARS-NPPO (CCINNOW) workshop. The goal is to increase networking in the Global South. This approach aligns with the broader goal ..read more

In Mali, like in many other countries in Africa, both men and women participate in agricultural activities, particularly in rice-based farming. Because rice farming requires access to land, availability of and access to agricultural equipment and inputs, and financial resources, socio-economic and cultural barriers limit women’s effective participation in rice-based farming. Those barriers make agriculture a men-dominated sector, thus making it difficult to value women’s contribution in agriculture. Women have limited access to Climate Information Services and Climate Smart Agriculture techno ..read more

— AfricaRice and the European Union (EU) signed an agreement formalizing the launch of the Seeds4Liberia project. This agreement signing took place in the presence of a delegation from the EU led by Dr Geertrui Louwagie, Dr Ismahane Elouafi CGIAR Executive Managing Director, Dr Baboucarr Manneh AfricaRice Director General, and Dr Akintayo Inoussa AfricaRice Country representative in Liberia. Seed4Liberia is a four-year project aiming to build resilient seed systems for rice, cassava, cocoa, coffee, and fish value chains to strengthen food and economic diversification in Liberia. With EU fundi ..read more

  On the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, observed on February 11th, AfricaRice advocates for the equitable inclusion of women and girls in the field of science. As part of our commitment to this cause, we interviewed Esther Pegalepo, a Postdoctoral Fellow in Plant Breeding at AfricaRice, to gain her valuable insights and experiences regarding the role of women and girls in the scientific community.   Can you share your journey into the field of science and what inspired you to pursue a career in this field? Since my early childhood, I've been fascinated by agricultu ..read more

January 25, 2024 - The Africa Regional Directors and Center DGs paid a courtesy visit to AfDB President Dr Akinwumi Adesina, followed by a second courtesy visit to the Ivorian State Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development and Food Crops.   The delegation of leaders included Dr Simeon Ehui, Director General IITA and Regional Director Continental Africa CGIAR; Dr Baboucarr Manneh, Director General of ,,AfricaRice and CGIAR Regional Director, West and Central Africa; Dr Éliane Ubalijoro, CEO of ,,Center for International Forestry Research – World Agroforestry Cen ..read more

January 23, 2024, Abidjan – AfricaRice was honored to host U.S Secretary of State Antony Blinken during his tour in Africa. Mister Blinken and Dr. Akinwumi Adesina President, African Development Bank Group (AfDB), paid a visit to AfricaRice, a longtime partner of the bank.   The Secretary of State and President Adesina had the opportunity to engage with AfricaRice Director General Baboucarr Manneh on key challenges that the continent is facing to achieve food security and on innovative and promising technologies that show progress in the attainment of this goal.   The coll ..read more

As part of her tour to visit One CGIAR centers, the new CGIAR Executive Managing Director (EMD) Dr. Ismahane Elouafi visited Africa Rice Center (AfricaRice) in Côte d'Ivoire from January 11 to 13, 2024. Before being appointed as CGIAR EMD, Dr. Elouafi was Chief Scientist at the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations. In this role, she represented FAO on the CGIAR System Council and she has previously served as a member of the CGIAR System Board. She was Director General at the International Center for Biosaline Agriculture based in the United Arab Emirates, and has ..read more