AfricaRice and Kasetsart University Partner to Transform Africa’s Rice Sector
- adiomande9
- 3 hours ago
- 2 min read
Bangkok, Thailand, 8 December 2025 — Africa Rice Center (AfricaRice) has entered a landmark strategic partnership with Kasetsart University (KU) of Thailand to accelerate rice innovation, strengthen food and nutrition security, and advance South–South cooperation across Africa. The collaboration was formalized through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding during the relaunch of the Thailand–Africa Initiative (TAI) in Bangkok, in the presence of H.E. Sihasak Phuangketkeow, Thailand’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, and H.E. Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs.
This high-impact partnership brings together AfricaRice’s pan-African mandate and deep regional expertise with Kasetsart University’s globally recognized Rice Science Center, creating a powerful alliance to address Africa’s growing rice demand amid climate change, population growth, and rising import bills.
Driving Innovation for Rice Self-Sufficiency in Africa
Under the agreement, AfricaRice and KU will collaborate across four strategic pillars critical to transforming Africa’s rice value chains:
Climate-Resilient Varietal Development: Accelerating the development of high-yielding, stress-tolerant, and market-preferred rice varieties using advanced breeding, germplasm exchange, and genome-editing technologies.
Nutrition and Biofortification: Tackling micronutrient deficiencies through biofortified and nutritionally enhanced rice products adapted to African consumer needs.
Mechanization and Post-Harvest Technologies: Promoting appropriate rice mechanization solutions, including the potential establishment of a post-harvest equipment assembly facility in Côte d’Ivoire.
Capacity Building and Youth Engagement: Strengthening African research and extension systems through joint training programs, technical exchanges, and skills development for young scientists and professionals.
Science-Driven Partnerships for Impact at Scale
As African countries intensify efforts to achieve rice self-sufficiency and reduce dependence on imports, this partnership positions science, innovation, and collaboration at the center of sustainable solutions. By aligning cutting-edge research with AfricaRice’s proven pathways for scaling impact, the collaboration aims to deliver tangible benefits for millions of smallholder farmers, processors, and consumers across the continent.
“This partnership strengthens our ability to deliver cutting-edge rice innovations across Africa,” explained Dr. Baboucarr Manneh, Director General of AfricaRice. “Kasetsart University’s excellence in rice science perfectly complements AfricaRice’s mission to transform rice value chains and enhance food and nutrition security for millions of Africans.”
A Flagship Model of South–South Cooperation
The AfricaRice–Kasetsart University partnership stands as a flagship outcome of Thailand’s renewed engagement with Africa under the Thailand–Africa Initiative. It demonstrates how South–South collaboration can unlock innovation, share expertise, and co-create solutions to shared global challenges in food security, climate resilience, and sustainable development—aligned with Africa’s Agenda 2063.
By uniting science, policy, and partnerships, AfricaRice and Kasetsart University are laying the foundation for a more resilient, competitive, and self-sufficient rice sector in Africa—from research labs to farmers’ fields and markets.
“Together with AfricaRice, we will leverage scientific breakthroughs to develop high-quality, climate-resilient rice varieties and technologies that support the sustainable growth of Africa’s rice economy,” added Professor Dr. Dokrak Marod, Vice President for Research and Internationalization at Kasetsart University.