In view of the growing importance of rice for Africa’s food security and the
strategic role played by the Africa Rice Center (AfricaRice) in advising
policymakers on this critical issue, national experts from 24 AfricaRice member
countries urged the Center to continue its strong advocacy efforts for
increased investments in the domestic rice sector to help achieve the
Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
This was one of the key recommendations made at the National Experts Committee
(NEC), held in Cotonou, Benin, 13-15 September 2010. AfricaRice is a
pan-African intergovernmental research association of African member countries.
It is also a member of the Consortium of Centers supported by the Consultative
Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR).
The NEC felicitated the AfricaRice Director General Dr Papa Abdoulaye Seck and
the staff for their “Outstanding” rating from the World Bank based on
scientific, administrative and financial indicators.
Underlining the scarcity of national rice scientists, technicians and extension
workers in sub-Saharan Africa, the NEC endorsed several measures taken by
AfricaRice and its partners to strengthen national rice R&D capacity:
Global Rice Science Partnership (GRiSP): The NEC reiterated its support
to the new GRiSP initiative of the CGIAR-supported Centers and other key
partners working on rice. GRiSP is expected to bring the best of international
rice science to Africa in a coordinated manner.
Revival of the task force mechanism: The NEC approved the revival of
AfricaRice’s successful task force mode of research partnership. In line with
sub-regional and regional organizations, the new Africawide task force
mechanism – with strong ownership by national systems – will help build
critical mass around major thematic areas of the rice sector. As part of this,
an African Rice Breeding Task Force has just been launched with support from
the Government of Japan.
Regional harmonization: To ensure regional price stability of rice and
harmonization of rice seed and fertilizer legislations and variety release
catalogues, the NEC supported AfricaRice’s strategy to strengthen links with
regional economic communities.
Harnessing Egypt’s rice expertise: The NEC encouraged AfricaRice to
pursue its strategy of harnessing the expertise of Egypt – which became a member
of AfricaRice in 2009 – in irrigated rice systems and hybrid rice technology
for the benefit of other member countries.
Priority to post-harvest technologies: The NEC stressed the importance
of looking beyond increasing rice production in Africa and addressing marketing
issues of locally produced rice through a value chain approach – special
emphasis will need to be paid to the introduction of suitable harvest and
post-harvest technologies.
A major concern was raised by the NEC regarding possible risks to rice
germplasm exchange for research purposes if the Convention on Biological
Diversity (CBD) would be expanded to include material currently under the
International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture
(ITPGRFA). The current arrangement as regulated by the ITPGRFA allows easy
access of African countries to rice germplasm from each other or from other
regions.
AfricaRice member countries were recommended to initiate an advocacy addressed
to their Ministries of Agriculture and Environment to make sure that the
African representatives present during the CBD negotiations are well informed
of the current benefits for African agriculture from ITPGRFA.
