A guarantee of local, sustainable and high-quality rice for Malian consumers

If there’s one food that people in West Africa, and in Mali in particular, like to use in their dishes, it’s rice. In the country of the legendary emperor Sundiata Keita, average annual per capita rice consumption has risen sharply and is now estimated to be more than 75kg, compared with less than 13kg when the country gained independence in 1960¹. Rice production has followed an upward curve, increasing by more than 200% between the beginning of the century and 2020 (FAO, 2022)², reaching almost 2.15 million tonnes in 2022 (DNA, 2022)³ and contributing to 88% of national needs (CARD, 2023). Although the trade balance for rice is still negative⁴, Mali is less dependent on imports than other countries in the region.

Mali’s Agricultural Development Policy (PDA) 2014–2025 aims to “make Mali an emerging country where the agricultural sector is a driving force of the national economy and a guarantor of food sovereignty within a framework of sustainable development” and to produce 5.5 million tonnes of rice by 2025⁵. In order to contribute to this goal and to sustainably increase the production and marketing of rice, Rikolto has been promoting good agricultural practices that follow the sustainability principle. One of these is the Sustainable Rice Platform (SRP) standard in rice cultivation that has been promoted since 2018. Unlike consumers in many neighbouring countries, Malian consumers prefer local rice, and their demand for certified organic rice is growing. In response, Rikolto has also been supporting the establishment of a local Participatory Guarantee System (PGS) since 2022.

PGS: an organic certificate, local and accessible

PGS is emerging as an alternative to organic certification that is adapted to the local context, inexpensive and gaining interest in West Africa. “We want to give small producers with low incomes, who can’t get third-party certification, the opportunity to certify their organic products and enable every consumer to consume organic products" explains Lazare Yombi, a consultant and one of the pioneers and experts of PGS in Africa.

Thanks to the advocacy and collaboration of Rikolto for rice, Humundi for fruit and vegetables and the Malian Association for Solidarity and Development (AMSD), PGS Bio Local has been registered by the Malian Centre for the Promotion of Industrial Ownership (CEMAPI) as an organic certification label for cereal, livestock and vegetable production. “This PGS initiative aims to label local production and generate additional income for producers while offering quality products to local consumers and is strongly supported by the Agricultural Orientation Law (LOA),” explains Bréhima Dembele, Rikolto’s rice programme manager in Mali.

From Benin to Mali: promotion of organic rice production

Rikolto is implementing initiatives to promote greater uptake of this local certification process in the region, building on the results and lessons learned from the PGS rice pilot implemented from 2021 to 2023 as part of Enabel’s DEFIA project in Benin. This successful model is being adopted in Rikolto’s 2022–2026 Rice Programme, financed by DGD in Mali.

By 2023, Rikolto had trained 145 rice growers, 65% of them women, who are members of the National Platform of Rice Producers (PNPR-M) and of the farmers’ organisation CORIPAK, in organic farming and PGS. Of these, 75 farmers cultivate 37.5 hectares organically. The benefits, particularly in terms of yields, will become apparent in the medium term. Although yields in the 2022/2023 season were observed to be 10–20% lower than those following the SRP standard, PGS rice is sold at a higher price, ensuring a better income for producers. In the physical organic market set up by AMSD, PGS rice is sold to consumers at 750 CFA/kg. Producers receive 600 CFA/kg, which is up to double the price of non-certified rice⁶. The 150 CFA/kg difference is used by the AMSD to finance the promotion of sustainable rice among consumers.

In the 2022/2023 season, farmers marketed 112.5 tonnes of PGS rice, covering the needs of 1,500 people and generating sales of 67.5 million CFA francs (about 103,170 euros). Organic rice is particularly popular among urban consumers, who are concerned about the risks associated with food contaminated by high levels of chemicals and who make up the majority of organic consumers in Mali. However, “even producers, when informed, choose to consume pesticide-free rice,” says Ms Adam Diop, President of the National Association of Rice Producers of Mali (ANTR-M), Secretary General of the Interprofession of the Rice Sector (IFRIZ) and a specialist in marketing agroecological rice in local markets.

Promoting sustainable diets: an essential ingredient

“Food products with high chemical contaminants make people sick, and that was not known before,” continues Adama, during one of Rikolto’s events promoting healthy diets in Mali. To ensure that Malian consumers have access to healthy rice, Rikolto has not only facilitated inclusive and sustainable commercial relationships between producers, processors and distributors/retailers but has also worked with local partners to organise awareness-raising workshops. These workshops target restaurant and hotel promoters to inform them about the benefits of sustainable rice, and civil society organisations such as AMSD, which promotes the consumption of PGS rice through its network, using social media platforms and TV stations for outreach.

2023 saw the launch of the “Mali Organic and Local Market” initiative promoted by the AMSD. “The market is a place where consumers and producers can come together to consume and promote agroecological and organic products by abandoning pesticides and developing alternatives for the production of bio-pesticides and organic inputs,” explained Hamidou Diawara of AMSD at the launch of the initiative. Initially scheduled to take place every Saturday throughout 2023, the market has become a focal point for raising awareness of agroecological and organic practices and has now been extended to cover the entire week. During the week AMSD-affiliated vendors work at the market, while on Saturdays PNRM members are personally involved in promoting their produce. This dynamic has piqued the interest of distributors, leading to ongoing discussions about potential collaborations.