AfricaRice and IITA: A Strategic Alliance Transforming Africa's Food Systems Through Science
- 5 days ago
- 3 min read
April 15, 2026, Mbé, Bouaké (Côte d'Ivoire) – In a powerful demonstration of scientific collaboration, the Director General of the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) led a high-level delegation to the Africa Rice Center (AfricaRice) main research station in Mbé, reinforcing the partnership between these sister CGIAR centers. As food sovereignty emerges as Africa's defining challenge, AfricaRice and IITA are taking their collaboration to new heights—placing science at the heart of their strategy to transform agricultural challenges into engines of sustainable economic growth.
The partnership is anchored in a stark economic reality: Africa spends more than $40 billion annually on food imports. To reverse this trend, the AfricaRice-IITA alliance is focused on dramatically closing yield gaps through innovation and science-based solutions.
"Through seed innovation and optimized farming practices, we can increase yields by 30 to 50% while doubling farmers' incomes and this is why it is important to have solid partnerships in agri-science community," emphasized Dr. Baboucarr Manneh, Director General of AfricaRice.
Flagship Collaborations Delivering Continental Impact
The partnership between AfricaRice and IITA has already generated measurable results across multiple flagship initiatives:
1. TAAT: Scaling Agricultural Transformation
The Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation (TAAT) program, funded by the African Development Bank (AfDB), exemplifies the complementarity of both centers. Since its launch in 2018, TAAT has:
Reached nearly 25 million farmers
Expanded climate-smart agricultural practices across over 35 million hectares
Deployed high-yielding hybrid rice varieties adapted to African conditions through the Rice Compact, led by AfricaRice
In this architecture, IITA provides overall program coordination while AfricaRice pilots the Rice Compact—a model of strategic division of labor that maximizes impact.
In February 2026, the AfDB awarded IITA a $16.6 million grant to launch TAAT Phase III, which is expected to reach an additional 14 million farmers across 37 countries.
2. Zero Hunger Project: Empowering Smallholders
The Zero Hunger Project, funded by IFAD and co-led by AfricaRice and IITA, has targeted 35,000 smallholder farmers in Nigeria and Togo, with 45% women and 20% youth.
The project has achieved remarkable milestones:
Trained over 6,000 farmers in seed production
Developed Togo's first national certification protocols for cassava, yam, and sweet potato seeds—a historic first for the country's agricultural sector
3. GEM Technology: Transforming Women's Livelihoods
The GEM (Grain quality Enhancer, Energy-efficient, durable Material) rice parboiling technology, co-deployed by both institutions through the TAAT Rice Compact, has transformed the daily lives of women rice processors in Nigeria, Benin, and Côte d'Ivoire. This innovation has improved both the market quality of locally produced rice and rural household incomes, which demonstrated how gender-responsive technologies drive inclusive development.
4. Seeds4Liberia: Strengthening National Food Security
The Seeds4Liberia project, funded by the European Union with $6.5 million, brings together AfricaRice and IITA to strengthen seed systems in Liberia for rice, cassava, and soybean value chains. This project stands as a compelling example of collaborative impact in service of African nations.
A Roadmap for the Future
The joint roadmap for the coming years is built on three strategic pillars:
From Innovation to Systemic Dissemination: Ensuring that every innovation reaches end beneficiaries at scale, moving beyond research stations to farmers' fields.
Climate-Smart Agriculture: Securing production systems against climate variability through resilient varieties and adaptive farming practices.
Youth Agribusiness Investment: Transforming agriculture into a source of employment and entrepreneurship for Africa's young population.
"Our complementarity is our strength. This win-win partnership will help improve our food systems—a major challenge we must address together," explained Dr. Simeon Ehui, Director General of IITA.
By consolidating their partnership, AfricaRice and IITA are affirming a vision where research excellence becomes a public service for development. This strategic alliance demonstrates that when science is coupled with political will and community engagement, Africa has all the levers necessary to feed its population and establish itself as a major player in global agribusiness.
Comments