Sustainable Development Goals

AfricaRice is committed to achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). Through its work, the Center is addressing 12 of the 17 SDGs.

SDG1 - No Poverty

By adopting improved rice varieties developed by AfricaRice and its partners, about 8 million people in 16 countries in Africa have been lifted out of poverty.

SDG2 - Zero Hunger

By adopting improved rice varieties developed by AfricaRice and its partners, about 7.2 million people in 16 countries in Africa have been lifted out of food insecurity.

SDG3 - Good health and well-being

AfricaRice study has shown that African rice (Oryza glaberrima) and some NERICA varieties combined with proper processing (parboiling and brown rice production) offer great potential for producing rice with low glycemic index recommended for diabetics.

SDG4 - Quality Education

Capacity building efforts of AfricaRice have enhanced national research and extension systems of its member countries across Africa. From 2015 to 2018, about 12,970 value chain actors participated in AfricaRice group training courses.

SDG5 - Gender Equality

AfricaRice study has shown that women empowerment in decision making at the household level can enhance their access to and involvement in better farming practices.

SDG6 - Clean Water and Sanitation

AfricaRice is seeking to enhance the productivity and competitiveness of Africa’s inland valleys for rice-based systems through sustainable intensification and diversification and value chain development while conserving land and water resources.

SDG8 - Decent Work and Economic Growth

The multi-stakeholder innovation platform (IP) approach adopted by AfricaRice promotes rice agribusiness by emphasizing active interaction with small and medium enterprises involved in farm mechanization, rice processing, and seed supply.

SDG9 - Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure

The ‘Rice’ component of the ‘Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation (TAAT)’ is helping scale up proven rice technologies and innovations across Africa to boost productivity.

SDG12 - Responsible Consumption and Production

AfricaRice has launched two powerful decision-support tools, called RiceAdvice and WeedManager, which help African rice farmers find the most effective and cost-efficient crop and weed management strategies, matching their specific farming conditions.

SDG13 - Climate Action

The first comprehensive study on climate change impact on rice productivity across Africa shows that rising temperatures could devastate dry-season irrigated rice in West Africa’s Sahel region.

SDG15 - Life on Land

AfricaRice holds the world’s largest collection of African rice (Oryza glaberrima). The African rice has passed through extreme climate hardship and is therefore a potentially useful source of genes for adaptation to climate change in Africa.

SDG17 - Partnership for the Goals

For championing partnership building to improve the well-being of Africa’s rice farmers, AfricaRice has won several prizes, including the UN Prize for South-South Cooperation, UNDP South-South Cooperation Excellence Award and FAO Award for Collaboration.