European Union delegation in Côte d'Ivoire visits the AfricaRice research station
On 20 January 2025, AfricaRice welcomed a high-level delegation from the European Union's National Office in Côte d'Ivoire to the M'Bé research station, near Bouaké. Made up of representatives from EU embassies (France, Germany, Netherlands, Belgium), the mission aimed to explore the economic potential of the rice sector and strengthen collaboration in the field of agricultural research and innovation.
The visit started with the introduction of the AfricaRice staff present and also of the members of the EU delegation.
Dr Aliou Diagne, AfricaRice Director of research and Innovation, on behalf of the Director General of AfricaRice, Dr Baboucarr Manneh, expressed his thanks for the delegation's visit, underlining the long-standing partnership between AfricaRice and the European Union. Dr. Diagne provided an overview of AfricaRice, a pan-African institution of 28 African member states, highlighting its mission to foster rice value chain development across Africa. Then, He emphasized AfricaRice’s vision: To deliver rice-based innovations and transform rice-based agri-food systems, contributing to the transformation of food, land, and water systems in the face of climate change. He delivered an in-depth presentation on the establishment, operations, and partnerships of AfricaRice, detailing its collaboration with national agricultural research systems (NARS).
He also outlined various technologies and innovations developed across the rice value chain, emphasizing their dissemination through multiple projects aimed at transforming rice production and processing systems in Africa
Dr Sali Ndindeng Atanga (Lead of Rice Sector Development at AfricaRice) presented various EU-funded projects (HealthyDiet4 Africa (In Cote d’Ivoire), Seed4Liberia (In Liberia), expressing his deep gratitude for the support of the European Union. He also presented AfricaRice's ground-breaking innovations to meet the challenges of the rice value chain.
During discussions, the delegation asked intriguing questions, expressing enthusiasm for the achievements of the center. Discussions were also engaged on the operations, impact, and scalability of the center’s technologies and innovations.
The program also included tours of AfricaRice’s experimental fields, seed production units, post-harvest facilities, and advanced laboratories including the Genebank laboratory of the Rice Biodiversity center for Africa ; Germplasm Unit laboratory; Grain quality laboratory; Agronomy laboratory; Phytopathology laboratory; Molecular Biology laboratory.
Overall, the laboratories highlighted their strong links with other world class laboratories within and outside the CGIAR, modern approaches to addressing challenges faced by rice actors, developing innovative solutions to enhance yields, productivity, and incomes while reducing poverty and improving food and nutrition security across Africa.
The head of the EU delegation, Mr. Mats Liljefelt praised the impact of AfricaRice's work, expressing his satisfaction and admiration for the research and innovations presented during the visit. He reaffirmed the EU's commitment to continuing its collaboration with the center and announced plans for further visits by other EU colleagues.
This visit underscored the importance of fostering international partnerships to advance sustainable agriculture and food security in Africa. AfricaRice is committed to strengthening these collaborations and delivering impactful solutions to the rice sector’s challenges.
Acknowledgement: Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Research Executive Agency. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them. The project ID is 101083388: combating malnutrition in Africa through diversification of the food system (HealthyDiets4Africa).
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