Agriculture
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Pathways to Accelerate Resilient Rice in Africa 
Pathways to Accelerate Resilient Rice in Africa  2480 1097 Jamie

Defining Pathways to Accelerate Climate-Smart, Resilient Rice Systems in Africa 

Over the past three years, the African Climate Action Partnership (AfCAP) has created a valuable platform for researchers, policymakers, practitioners, and local stakeholders to exchange knowledge and reflect on the state of climate-smart rice systems across Africa. These discussions uncovered shared priorities, including the need to accelerate adoption of climate-smart practices, strengthen enabling conditions for innovation, and enhance collaboration across regions. Building on this momentum, AfCAP convened a joint regional meeting from 17–19 February in Nairobi, Kenya, bringing together researchers, scientists, local stakeholders, policymakers, and representatives from key public and private rice organisations from both Anglophone and Francophone countries.

Photo: AfCAP Secretariat with participating delegates 

The meeting aimed to shift from identifying priorities to defining actionable pathways to scale climate-smart and resilient rice systems across Africa. It provided an opportunity for stakeholders to outline next steps, share best practices, and identify areas for coordinated action that can support countries in achieving both climate and agricultural development objectives. 

Photo: Delegates during group discussion 

Across the workshop sessions, participants examined current mitigation approaches and techniques to reduce Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions, while also unpacking regional efforts to advance Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA) through the East African Community (EAC) and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). In addition to this, the meeting provided space for organisations and country teams to share how CSA is being implemented in local contexts. Presentations covered a range of themes—from opportunities supported by the African Development Bank to mechanisms for national policy coordination. Building on earlier AfCAP engagements that focused on identifying existing CSA technologies and methods, this meeting went a step further by exploring pathways to scale solutions through thematic working groups. 

Photo: Delegate providing insights during one of the sessions 

The agenda was structured to support progressive planning over three days. The first day focused on co-defining climate-smart outcomes, including sessions on technical capacity for mitigation and on regional and national efforts to promote climate-smart agriculture. Day two shifted to implementation, with sessions showcasing innovation and best practices, examining enabling environments, and co-creating pathways for climate-smart rice. The final day focused on defining steps to accelerate adoption, giving delegates an opportunity to co-develop a regional action plan for climate-smart rice.   

Photo: Delegate during the Q&A session

Over the three days, delegates from across Africa engaged in rich discussions, technical exchanges, and collaborative planning to advance climate-smart rice production and strengthen Monitoring, Reporting and Verification (MRV) systems. The joint regional meeting highlighted both the challenges and the opportunities ahead, while underscoring a shared commitment to building resilient, inclusive, and sustainable agricultural systems. The meeting concluded with a strong consensus: Africa’s rice sector can become a cornerstone of climate-resilient agriculture if countries invest in capacity building, embrace inclusive practices, and strengthen regional collaboration. By aligning technical expertise, policy frameworks, and financial resources, delegates committed to transforming rice production systems into drivers of food security, economic opportunity, and environmental sustainability. 

Download the outcome report below to explore the detailed insights on the challenges and opportunities discussed:

Outcome Report
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African Rice & Climate Action:
African Rice & Climate Action: 1666 940 Jamie

African Rice Paddies and Climate Action: New Frontiers in Emission Reduction 

Rice is a key staple crop and major source of food security in many African countries. However, practices such as continuous flooding and suboptimal nitrogen management result in rice cultivation having a significant contribution to global Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions, particularly Methane (CH₄) and Nitrous Oxide (N₂O). 

Recognizing this challenge, the African Climate Action Partnership’s (AfCAP) Rice Community of Practice (CoP) has released a working paper titled “African Rice Paddies and Climate Action: New Frontiers in Emission Reduction.” 

This paper reviews technological, agronomic, genetic, and policy innovations aimed at reducing GHG emissions from rice cultivation while maintaining or enhancing productivity. Key mitigation practices include water-saving irrigation techniques such as Alternate Wetting and Drying (AWD) and Mid-Season Drainage (MSD), optimized nitrogen application, biochar amendments, and crop-livestock integration. Additionally, advances in plant breeding, including the development of low-emission rice cultivars and improved root traits, offer complementary strategies to curb emissions. The role of microbiome manipulation is also examined as a frontier area in sustainable GHG reduction.  

The paper further analyses the integration of rice mitigation strategies into national climate policies, the challenges of Measurement, Reporting, and Verification (MRV), and the potential of incentive-based mechanisms such as carbon credits. Drawing from African and Asian case studies, the paper emphasizes the importance of enabling environments, particularly policy alignment, capacity building, and inclusive institutional support, to scale climate-smart practices. The findings underline the need for integrated approaches that combine technological innovation, farmer engagement, and climate policy frameworks to transform rice systems into engines of climate resilience and sustainability. 

Download the full paper below to explore the detailed insights and recommendations:

Download Paper
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Agricultural Policy and Institutional Arrangements to enable Climate-Smart Rice
Agricultural Policy and Institutional Arrangements to enable Climate-Smart Rice 1600 900 Jamie

Agricultural Policy and Institutional Arrangements to enable Climate-Smart Rice

On the 12th of August 2025, the African Climate Action Partnership (AfCAP) hosted a webinar on “Agricultural Policy and Institutional Arrangements to enable Climate-Smart Rice”. This webinar explored how agricultural policy, and institutional arrangements can support the transition to climate-smart rice production. This session highlighted enabling policy frameworks and showcased national examples of innovative approaches and effective institutional coordination. The webinar also aided in identifying critical policy and institutional gaps that hinder the adoption of low-emission, climate-resilient rice practices.   

Dr. Jimmy Lamo, Senior Principal Research Officer & Rice Breeding Lead at National Agricultural Research Organization (NARO), opened the session on the Role of Research in Shaping Climate-Smart Policy. He emphasized that research provides the evidence needed to understand climate change, improve rice production, and reduce Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions, especially methane and nitrous oxide from rice farming practices. Dr. Lamo explained that key research areas include assessing climate impacts, developing resilient rice varieties through seed breeding, improving water and nutrient management, and promoting conservation agriculture such as perennial rice. He highlighted the importance of translating scientific findings into practical tools for policymakers and communities, supported by international collaboration and public awareness. Two case studies were shared: one on a high-yield, nutrient-efficient rice variety (WDR 7), and another on integrated pest management to reduce chemical use and promote crop rotation.  

Dr. Mary Mutembei, Head of the Rice Promotion Programme at the State Department for Agriculture, Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development in Kenya, opened up the second session on Enabling policy environments for scaling Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA) for rice. This session emphasized the critical role of policies and institutions in scaling-up climate-smart rice cultivation. Despite extensive research and innovation, adoption remains low due to inconsistent policies, limited farmer awareness, weak extension services, and inadequate financial incentives.

Dr. Mutembei highlighted the need for coherent policy frameworks, stakeholder engagement, and gender equity, while stressing the importance of ministries, research bodies, and advisory services in driving adoption. Approaches like farmer training, public-private partnerships, and market-based incentives were recommended to boost uptake. Ultimately, she called for stronger collaboration, better funding, and integration of climate goals into agricultural support systems to overcome challenges and accelerate adoption. 

The final presentation was given by Rosemary Murori, Collaborative Research Scientist at International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), on the importance of building stakeholder alignment across rice systems. During her presentation Murori emphasized the importance of building strong stakeholder and institutional alignment to effectively scale climate-smart rice technologies. She highlighted that rice is a vital crop for global food security, grown by millions of farmers and consuming significant water resources, making climate-smart solutions essential. Murori stressed that no single institution can tackle these challenges due to limited resources and diverse mandates, calling for collaboration across research centers, governments, private sector, and scaling partners. She underscored the need for market intelligence to guide research and breeding efforts, ensuring technologies meet the needs of farmers, consumers, and markets. It was emphasized that deploying technologies is not just about availability, it’s about timing and coordination. Seeds must be accessible when farmers need them, and digital tools should be used to predict demand and guide seed producers. Monitoring and evaluation are also vital to track adoption and inform policy decisions.  Rosemary also highlighted the role of capacity building, showing how simple innovations, like upgrading seed dressing equipment, can dramatically improve efficiency and dissemination. Her message was clear: without strategic alignment and shared resources, even the best technologies risk remaining unused, limiting their potential to improve livelihoods and climate resilience. 

To view the recording of the webinar and presentations please use the links down below: 

Webinar Presentation
Webinar Recording
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Advancing Climate-Smart Rice Production through Cross-Country Learning
Advancing Climate-Smart Rice Production through Cross-Country Learning 2329 1275 Jamie

Advancing Climate-Smart Rice Production through Cross-Country Learning: Insights from Tanzania, Liberia and Kenya

From 26th to 28th May 2025, the African Climate Action Partnership (AfCAP), in collaboration with the Tanzania Agricultural Research Institute (TARI), hosted a country knowledge exchange visit on “Promoting Climate-Smart Rice Production in Tanzania, Liberia, and Kenya.” The event brought together rice experts and government representatives from the three countries to strengthen technical capacity, foster cross-country learning, and promote collaboration around climate-smart rice technologies and policy integration.

The first day laid the foundation for meaningful engagement, beginning with welcome remarks from Tanzanian officials and an introduction to TARI’s role in advancing rice research. AfCAP presented the objectives of the exchange and introduced the Rice Community of Practice (CoP), setting the tone for collaborative learning and regional knowledge sharing. Participants were also invited to share their expectations and network with peers from across the continent.

Photo: Delegates during Day 1’s opening Session

Morning sessions explored the broader context of rice cultivation under climate change, with experts discussing both the challenges and opportunities of adopting climate-smart practices. Country representatives from Tanzania, Kenya, and Liberia presented overviews of their national rice development strategies, offering comparative insights into efforts to enhance resilience and productivity. In the afternoon, an interactive group discussion focused on aligning national rice programmes, followed by a showcase of Tanzania’s innovations, highlighting new technologies and approaches for climate mitigation and adaptation.

Photo: Liberian & Kenyan Delegates during an interactive activity

The second day opened with reflections on insights gained from Day 1, providing a thoughtful transition into country-led knowledge sharing. Delegates from Kenya and Liberia presented their experiences with implementing climate-smart rice practices. Their presentations highlighted innovative field technologies, such as improved water management systems and low-emission farming methods, alongside policy frameworks that support these initiatives. These sessions provided participants with valuable perspectives on how national contexts shape the adoption of climate-smart solutions.

Photo: Liberian delegate providing feedback during the interactivity from Day 2

In the afternoon, an engaging interactive session allowed participants to discuss how lessons learned could be adapted to their own country programmes. Topics included emission reduction strategies, resilience building, and productivity enhancement, all while supporting farmer livelihoods. Key takeaways were captured by rapporteurs and shared in plenary, emphasizing the importance of continued cross-country collaboration. The day closed with an introduction to the upcoming field visits, which would allow participants to observe how research, policy, and practice intersect in Tanzania’s rice sector.

Photo: Delegates at the Murzah Wilmar Rice Millers

The final day of the exchange featured a field tour to key irrigation schemes and research facilities in Tanzania, offering participants a firsthand look at climate-smart innovations in action. The tour began at Murzah Wilmar Rice Millers in Morogoro, where delegates observed the full rice processing chain, from seed cleaning and milling to final packaging. This visit offered valuable insights into how private sector engagement and post-harvest technologies are improving efficiency, reducing losses, and strengthening the resilience of rice value chains.

Photo: AfCAP Secretariat with delegates at local rice farmer’s paddy field

As part of the field visit, the group also met a local rice farmer working in the paddy fields, who shared practical insights into his cultivation practices. He demonstrated key techniques such as efficient water management, crop rotation, and the use of improved seed varieties, all aimed at boosting productivity while adapting to climate variability. This visit provided participants with a ground-level perspective on how climate-smart practices are being implemented at the farm level.

This hands-on experience complemented the technical sessions held throughout the exchange, underscoring the importance of bridging the gap between research and real-world application. Witnessing these practices in the field highlighted the need for continued collaboration among researchers, policymakers, and farmers to ensure that innovations are not only developed but also adopted in ways that are practical, scalable, and sustainable.

To read more about the outcomes and next steps from the event, download the meeting report below:

Outcome Report
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Rice Francophone Regional Workshop:
Rice Francophone Regional Workshop: 2560 1707 Jamie

Advancing Climate-Smart Rice Cultivation in Francophone Africa

Between the 11th – 13th of February 2025, the African Climate Action Partnership (AfCAP),  in collaboration with AfricaRice,  co-convened the Francophone Rice Regional Forum entitled “Promouvoir la Riziculture Intelligente face au Climat en Afrique”  in Bouake, Cote D’Ivoire.  The forum brought together government agencies, national agricultural research centres and key stakeholders from Cote D’Ivoire, DRC, Cameroon, Mali, Senegal, Madagascar and Guinea.

The multi-day regional forum brought together researchers, scientists, policymakers, and key public and private rice sector representatives to share knowledge and explore challenges and opportunities in adopting climate-smart rice practices, technologies, and tools to reduce Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions in Africa’s rice sector.

The forum opened with introductory sessions that set the scene for discussions by defining key themes and objectives. A key highlight was the exploration of synergies between food security, climate resilience and GHG mitigation, emphasizing integrated approaches. Participants engaged in interactive activities to establish priorities before moving onto country-specific experiences. Day 1 concluded with reflections on best practices and innovative solutions implemented across the region.

Photo: Delegates during a group activity

The second day shifted focus to the design of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and strategies to strengthen national program support. Day 2 concluded with discussions on reinforcing commitments and ensuring long-term implementation.

Photo: Delegates at the M’be research station at AfricaRice

The final day of the forum provided hands-on learning through field and laboratory visits at the M’be Research Station. Delegates explored innovative rice farming techniques, including biochar application, nitrogen-based fertilizers, rice-fish systems, and water and fertilizer management strategies. These visits offered practical insights into diversification and multiple rice harvest systems tailored for Africa. The event officially concluded following the field visit.

This forum served as a vital platform for fostering collaboration, aligning strategies and driving sustainable rice cultivation transformation in response to climate challenges.

AfCAP Rice Francophone Regional Workshop Report – English
AfCAP Rice Francophone Regional Workshop Report – French
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Sustainable Rice Farming: Unlocking Nigeria’s Potential with System of Rice Intensification (SRI)
Sustainable Rice Farming: Unlocking Nigeria’s Potential with System of Rice Intensification (SRI) 2560 1092 Jamie

Sustainable Rice Farming: Unlocking Nigeria’s Potential with System of Rice Intensification (SRI)

Traditional rice-growing practices in Nigeria contribute to water scarcity and greenhouse gas emissions. Continuous flooding of rice fields leads to inefficient water use and exacerbates environmental problems, including methane emissions and climate change. There is an urgent need to switch from these conventional practices to more sustainable alternatives, such as the System of Rice Intensification (SRI).

Research shows that SRI offers significant advantages over conventional rice cultivation. It improves water-use efficiency by promoting intermittent irrigation and aerobic soil conditions, thereby reducing methane emissions and increasing rice yields. SRI practices contribute to environmental sustainability while improving farmers’ livelihoods and food security. The policy brief proposes concrete recommendations to facilitate the adoption and scaling-up of SRI practices in Nigeria, such as policy support, financial incentives, capacity building, research and development, as well as monitoring and evaluation mechanisms.

To read more on this Policy Brief download the brief below:

Rice Policy Brief
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Regenerative Agrivoltaics in Africa for Improved Livelihoods & Climate Resilience
Regenerative Agrivoltaics in Africa for Improved Livelihoods & Climate Resilience 1600 720 Jamie

Regenerative Agrivoltaics in Africa for Improved Livelihoods, Climate Resilience, and Agricultural Decarbonization webinar

On the 10th of October 2024, the African Climate Action Partnership in partnership with the National Renewable Energy Laboratories (NREL) co-convened a webinar entitled “Regenerative Agrivoltaics in Africa for Improved Livelihoods, Climate Resilience, and Agricultural Decarbonization”. The webinar showcased case studies of agrivoltaics systems in  Africa, highlighted best practices and trade-offs, and explored potential applications and research areas in Africa to improve livelihoods, adapt to climate change, and support national Nationally Determined Contribution’s (NDCs) and local low-carbon sustainable development strategies.

The webinar began with a brief introduction to agrivoltaics and an overview of the benefits, challenges and insights on the different configurative agrivoltaics. During the session, numerous benefits from agrivoltaics usage in Africa were explained and how the various business models were used to improve rural communities water irrigation systems and cold storage for crop yields.

The webinar continued by providing a few case studies of the effectiveness of agrivoltaics on food, energy and water. The first case study focused on community-based solutions for food, energy and water resilience. It outlined how solar energy can provide basic energy usage whilst simultaneously providing great crop yields and better working environments for community members. The second case study gave an overview of the impacts of agrivoltaics on food production, energy generation and water conservation in East Africa. The implementation of a configurative agrivoltaics can support farmers by minmising the need for irrigation as it provides crops with shade which aids in the growth of crops. This indicates crops provided greater yields with less water and energy needed.

Furthermore, these case studies showcased how agrivoltaics can support livelihoods, maintain and uplift rural community’s economy. Moving onto the second last segment of the webinar shared the opportunities and co-benefits of decarbonizing agriculture with regenerative agrivoltaics. Points on greenhouse gas mitigation, water conservation, soil health improvement and biodiversity conservation are providing long impact improvement to climate change risks.

The final segment of the webinar focused on how to map biophysical features to depict where it is most suitable for crops to be yielded East Africa. A suitability analysis is a tool used to assess and analyse if a space is beneficial for agrivoltaics in East Africa. The tool illustrated best areas to produce agrivoltaics yielded crops as well as how agrivoltaics could assist with areas under the risk towards climate change factors. 

If you would like to view the webinar recording and read through PowerPoint presentation, please follow the links below:

Presentation
Webinar Recording
Webinar Resource (RE:Harvesting the Sun)
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Strengthening Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) through robust Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Inventories
Strengthening Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) through robust Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Inventories 2594 1405 Jamie

Strengthening Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) revisions through robust Livestock Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Inventories

To strengthen climate ambitions and effectively contribute to the goals under the Paris Agreement, many African countries will be submitting their revised Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) by 2025. A critical area for improvement in NDC commitments, is to strengthen national greenhouse gas (GHG) inventories, particularly in agriculture, where accurate data is crucial for aligning climate goals with food security targets. Moving from tier 1 to tier 2 inventories would enhance reporting and monitoring systems, enabling countries to set robust climate targets.

However, African nations face challenges, including lack of reliable data on agricultural practices, land use and emission estimates, limited technical expertise, limited resources, and weak institutional frameworks which hinder accurate agricultural inventories and limit the ability to set robust targets. Addressing these gaps could enhance reporting, improve monitoring, provide insights on emissions from farming practices, and guide targeted mitigation.

To discuss these issues, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Regional Collaboration Centre (RCC) for East and Southern Africa and the Africa Climate Action Partnership (AfCAP) hosted a webinar entitled “Strengthening NDC revisions through robust livestock GHG inventories” on the 18th of September 2024.

This webinar provided an overview of the process and the necessary steps for developing tier 2 inventories and how to translate these into NDC targets. Experts from Kenya and Zimbabwe shared their experiences of challenges and limitations in developing inventories and highlighting opportunities to mobilise resources to strengthen GHG inventories. During the session participants had the opportunity to explore more robust and concrete NDC targets.

To view the recording of the webinar and presentations please use the links down below:

Webinar Recording
Webinar Presentation
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