Climate Smart
  • Jamie
  • No Comments

Pathways to Accelerate Resilient Rice in Africa 
Pathways to Accelerate Resilient Rice in Africa  1600 900 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
  • Jamie
  • No Comments

Strategic Knowledge Exchange Visit on Rice GHG Sampling Methods
Strategic Knowledge Exchange Visit on Rice GHG Sampling Methods 1280 880 Jamie

Strategic Knowledge Exchange Visit on Rice GHG Sampling Methods

From 11–13 June 2025, the African Climate Action Partnership (AfCAP), in collaboration with AfricaRice, co-convened a “Strategic Knowledge Exchange Visit on Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Sampling Methods”. The visit brought together researchers from the Institute for Agricultural Research – Ahmadu Bello University and Federal University Dutse (Nigeria), and the AfricaRice Center (Côte d’Ivoire), with the aim of fostering peer-to-peer learning and enhancing technical expertise in GHG emission measurement in rice cultivation.

Photo: Institute for Agricultural Research delegates at AfricaRice research center

This initiative supported the outcomes of a grant agreement between the SouthSouthNorth (SSN) and the Institute for Agricultural Research, focusing on building institutional capacity and strengthening collaboration between Nigerian institutions and AfricaRice. Over the course of three days, participants engaged in a combination of field visits, laboratory tours, and technical training.

The visit began with a warm welcome from the Deputy Director of Research and Innovation, followed by an overview of AfricaRice’s diverse programs and field visits to key experimental sites. Delegates explored cutting-edge research on biochar and nitrogen fertilizer trials, rice-fish culture systems, water and nutrient management, multiple-harvest rice varieties, cropping system diversification, and seed multiplication units.

The second day focused on greenhouse gas (GHG) measurement techniques, featuring in-depth sessions on static chamber-based sampling methods and practical demonstrations for methane, carbon dioxide, and nitrous oxide collection, complemented by laboratory visits to observe gas chromatography analysis.

Photo: Demonstration of GHG Sampling at AfricaRice’s Biodiversity Field

The exchange concluded with a shared commitment to continue collaboration, apply improved GHG measurement techniques in ongoing research, and contribute to the development of more accurate, climate-smart agricultural policies across West Africa.

Photo: Mr. Auwal from Nigeria taking a GHG Sample

Key Outcomes

  1. Participants gained valuable experience in GHG data collection, handling, and analysis.
  2. Strengthened research linkages/collaboration between Nigerian institutions and Africa Rice Center.
  3. The training directly supports the effective rollout of the AfCAP-funded baseline GHG emissions project in Nigeria.
  4. Insights from the workshop will guide future contributions to national climate reporting, including Nigeria’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).
  • Jamie
  • No Comments

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

Back to top