The
Rice Biodiversity Center for Africa (RBCA) was officially inaugurated by the Minister
of Higher Education and Scientific Research in Côte d’Ivoire, Dr Abdallah
Toikeusse Mabri, in the presence of the Minister for the Promotion of Rice, Mr
Gaoussou Touré, on 21 February 2020, at the Africa Rice Center (AfricaRice)
Research Station in M’bé near Bouaké, Côte d’Ivoire.
Describing
the RBCA as a vital tool for African countries to boost their rice sector, Dr
Mabri thanked the donors – the African Development Bank, the CGIAR Genebank
Platform, the Global Crop Diversity Trust and AfricaRice member countries – for
their strong support to AfricaRice in the establishment of the center in Côte
d’Ivoire.
During
his address, Mr Touré announced his ministry’s firm resolve to collaborate
closely with AfricaRice in its efforts to make Côte d’Ivoire self-sufficient in
rice. “The RBCA is going to be a big help in this endeavor,” he stated.
Representatives
from AfricaRice Board and international and national partners attended the
ceremony. The occasion was also graced by the presence of local government
representatives and traditional chiefs from villages around the AfricaRice
station in M’bé.
A
major component of the RBCA is its new state-of-the-art genebank, which holds
the largest collection of African rice in the world and the largest rice
collection in Africa, with almost 22,000 accessions under long-term storage in
trust for humanity and in accordance with the International Treaty on Plant
Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA).
The genebank of the RBCA is one of the 11 international genebanks of the CGIAR System Organization. The genebank manages the rice genetic resources, including modern rice cultivars, traditional varieties and related wild species in Africa, entrusted to it by African countries.
These
genetic resources are used to develop improved rice varieties adapted to
African agro-ecologies. They contribute significantly to feeding the growing African
population in the face of fast-changing environmental conditions and emerging
challenges, especially climate change.
“AfricaRice
has been, for more than four decades, at the forefront of international efforts
to collect and conserve rice genetic resources in Africa,” stated AfricaRice
Director General, Dr Harold Roy-Macauley. “In the face of climate change, which
requires the creation of climate-smart rice varieties, it is more than ever
important to efficiently and effectively manage the diversity of rice accessions
in the genebank of the RBCA.”
The
Head of the RBCA, Dr Marie-Noelle Ndjiondjop, added that the RBCA will not only
safeguard rice diversity ex-situ but will also promote in-situ conservation. It
will serve as a center for education to raise awareness on the need for safeguarding
rice diversity, the role of rice in food security and the importance of farmers
as saviors of traditional rice varieties and rice customs and traditions in
Africa. Its doors will, therefore, be open to visitors including research
scientists, farmers, youths and all categories of rice stakeholders.
