The African Rice Center (AfricaRice) is a leading pan-African organization with a mandate to help its member states develop the rice sector through research and development activities and partnerships. AfricaRice has rice research and development capabilities adapted to local conditions, equipped with knowledge, data and networks in the field. It has put in place impact-enhancing mechanisms, such as rice action groups and rice clusters in Africa, needed to achieve its goals.

The Centre contributes significantly to stimulating the rice sector by improving seeds, cultivation practices, rice processing technologies, technical knowledge, policies to support the rice sector, capacity development and support for the development of rice value chains in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA).

Mission: The mission of AfricaRice is to contribute to poverty reduction and food security in Africa through research, development and partnerships aimed at increasing the productivity and profitability of the rice sector in order to ensure the sustainability of the production environment.

Unique center: AfricaRice is a CGIAR research center as well as an intergovernmental association of African member countries. The Council of Ministers — composed of the Ministers of Agriculture or the Ministers of Scientific Research of all its member countries — is the supreme governing body of AfricaRice. This unique governance gives AfricaRice access to the highest levels of decision-making in African governments.

Origin and composition: AfricaRice was created in 1971 by 11 African countries. It now has 27 member countries: Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Cameroon, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Ivory Coast, Egypt, Ethiopia, Egypt, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea Bissau, Liberia, Madagascar, Mali, Mauritania, Mozambique, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, Niger, Nigeria, Nigeria, Uganda, Niger, Nigeria, Nigeria, Uganda, Niger, Nigeria, Nigeria, Uganda, Nigeria, Uganda, Nigeria, Uganda, Nigeria, Uganda, Nigeria, Uganda, Nigeria, Uganda, Uganda, Central African Republic, Uganda, Central African Republic, Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Uganda, Central African Republic, Uganda, Central African Republic, Republic of Congo, Uganda, Central African Republic, Republic of Congo, Uganda, Central African Republic