Following the publication of “Intensifying rice production to reduce imports and land conversion in Africa” in Nature Communications (2024, 15:835), Rikolto wants to back up the paper’s data and conclusions with inspiring stories and experience from our work on the ground. Rikolto believes that with investment in agricultural research and development, but also active collaboration with a wide range of stakeholders, Africa can become self-sufficient in rice and less dependent on imports and land conversion.
Rice typically conjures up images of the breathtaking terraced fields of Bali. While growing and consuming rice is traditionally associated with Asia, rice is now also booming in Africa. Thanks to rapid population growth, rising incomes and changing diets, demand for rice is soaring in several African countries – faster than for any other staple food. Africa currently consumes 60 million tonnes of rice per year, but by 2050 this demand is expected to increase by 135%. With the population expected to grow from 1.3 billion to 2.5 billion, and per capita consumption expected to increase from 48 to 60 kg per year, rice is taking centre stage in the African diet.
What makes this a key challenge for the continent? Africa is roughly 60% self-sufficient in rice and relies on imports to fill the consumption gap. Although theoretically possible, substituting other crops for rice poses significant challenges. Easy and quick to prepare, rice is a preferred food among young people, while its association with wealth and status makes it popular among wealthier citizens1. Demand remains stable even during food crises, and the cultural significance of rice drives steady growth in demand, particularly in urban areas. On top of that, yield gaps in other major staple crops limit their ability to compensate for rice shortfalls.
This raises a critical question: what is the best scenario for the continent to meet rice demand in 2050? Should African countries expand rice production into new areas, continue to rely on imports or focus on increasing yields? In this article, we delve into insights gained from our work on the ground that align with the paper’s conclusions. Rikolto is actively engaged in rice-based food systems across the Democratic Republic of Congo, Tanzania, Uganda, Benin, Burkina Faso, Mali and Senegal.
[1] Trends in rice research: 2030 andbeyond – Bin Rahman – 2023 – Food and Energy Security – Wiley Online Library
“Africa must raise current yields substantially to avoid the need for larger amount of rice imports and massive expansion of cropland”
Africa’s current reliance on imports makes it vulnerable to price volatility and market shocks. Many African countries face challenges in paying for imported rice due to limited foreign exchange reserves. At the same time, key suppliers in Southeast Asia are tightening export restrictions in response to climate challenges and global crises to safeguard their stocks for domestic consumption, which accounts for 85% of global consumption. Reducing import dependence would not only improve food security but also reduce these economic vulnerabilities.
Expanding rice cultivation to new areas and making excessive and inappropriate use of inputs comes with environmental costs. It can lead to the loss of biodiversity and disruption to hydrological systems, further exacerbating the effects of climate change. Additionally, flooded rice fields are a major source of greenhouse gas emissions, especially methane. While Africa currently cultivates only 25% of its total potential rice-growing area, any expansion should be approached with caution. Sustainable strategies include promoting limited expansion in rain-fed lowland areas, with gradual transitions to more water-efficient irrigated systems.
Over the past decade, Africa’s rice-growing area has expanded by nearly 40%, yet average yields have stagnated. Average yields in Africa are generally lower than in Asia, because of differences in agronomic management, but also because a third of Africa’s rice is rain-fed while fields in Asia are mostly irrigated. Nevertheless, there is room for improvement. By adopting sustainable modern farming techniques and intensifying cultivation, African countries can achieve similar gains in productivity while reducing environmental impacts.
While the paper highlights the need to invest primarily in rice intensification and production, this should not be considered a silver bullet. For years, we’ve focused on strengthening business cooperatives to increase sustainable rice production, boost sales and raise farmer incomes. More recently, our strategy has broadened to include building more competitive value chains that enable cooperatives to thrive while ensuring consumers have access to nutritious, high-quality rice. It’s crucial to shift the focus from production alone to the entire rice food system – from growing and processing to distribution and consumption – if we are to have a lasting impact.
Farmers must have a decent income and be paid a fair price for their production, yet local rice must compete with imports on both price and quality. Locally produced rice should become the preferred choice for retailers and consumers alike. As market share grows, policymakers will be more inclined to foster an environment conducive to the development of local value chains. This holistic approach requires engaging with all key stakeholders and tailoring interventions to the local context. Let’s explore some insights from our work on the ground, touching upon different, though interconnected, aspects of the food system.
The Sustainable Rice Platform (SRP) standard boosts yields, reduces costs and increases incomes while safeguarding the environment. Applicable to both rain-fed and irrigated fields, it has been a cornerstone of our global rice program since 2017. “In Tanzania, the 2021 end-line impact evaluation of the IMAP4CSA project showed remarkable results – nearly 6,000 farmers experienced a 38% boost in productivity and a 49% increase in income on average,2” explains Djalou Franco, Rice Programme Manager in Tanzania. Similar results were achieved in Uganda, with average yield increases of 24% in areas with developed irrigation and 56% elsewhere, leading to a 46%3 increase in income. In Senegal, one of the countries with the lowest yield gaps according to the paper, FEPROBA members increased yields by 13% between 2022 and 2023 using SRP practices, with additional income gains from cost savings achieved by using rice straw-based fertiliser and the deep placement of urea. Although this evidence focuses on irrigated land, we also work with farmers who grow SRP rice on rain-fed land during the rainy season and shift to other crops or livestock in the dry season.
What makes the SRP framework different is that it integrates environmental, economic and social sustainability4. It’s not a pass-or-fail system; instead, farmers are trained to improve their sustainability scores, gradually transitioning away from unsustainable practices and intensifying their production sustainably. In the Ruzizi Plain, farmers from ADPA and COOSOPRODA achieved a 20% higher score on the SRP standard, with an average of 72/100, proudly showcasing their commitment to sustainable rice production.
[2] Income: from USD 272 per hectare to USD 339 per hectare – Productivity: from 3.2 tonnes per hectare to 4.4 tonnes per hectare.
[3] Prior to our interventions, farmers had an average total net income of USh 4,295,100/ha. However, after transitioning to sustainable agriculture, their average net income increased to USh 6,260,400/ha (Rikolto SRP Survey Report, 2024).
[4] The SRP standard comprises 41 criteria covering sustainable agronomic practices across eight topics: farm management, pre-planting, water use, nutrient management, integrated pest management, harvest and post-harvest, health and safety and labour rights.
“Limited access to knowledge, finance, inputs and markets have significantly impeded farmers’ capacity to close yield gaps”
Having models and guidelines for good practice is of little use if farmers do not have access to this knowledge, the means to put it into practice and accessible and affordable inputs.
Mary, an extension worker with the District Agriculture Irrigation and Cooperative Office (DAICO), trains farmers in Magugu on rice seed treatment, quality management, post-harvest handling and nutrient use efficiency based on soil testing. Rikolto has trained and empowered many other people like Mary in farmer organisations, private partners and government agencies to disseminate knowledge on sustainable agriculture.
Community learning through village agents, demonstration plots and field visits aimed at teaching good agricultural practices have also proved effective. In the DRC, over the past four years nearly 10,000 farmers have benefited from these initiatives, with demonstration plots generating significant interest. Augustin Rushunda, Rice Programme Manager in DRC, states, “We’ve introduced the innovative community-based ‘Smart Valleys’ approach – an engaging water management system for lowland rice production. In 2023, thanks to the widespread use of this practice, 1,200 hectares have already been successfully irrigated.”
Access to inputs can also be improved by developing internal capacity and knowledge. For example, FEPROBA has improved its members’ access to sustainable fertiliser by supporting a youth-led enterprise that processes urea into granules. This initiative offers a new perspective to the younger generation, many of whom have turned away from farming.
Rikolto has a long history of supporting farmer organisations in becoming strong business partners, making them more resilient to crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic and more likely to be approved for credit and investment. While professionalisation remains a key focus of our work, we’re also working with private institutions to co-create climate finance mechanisms that can repay farmers for their environmental efforts.
In 2023, the commercial bank CRDB disbursed the first 54 “climate” loans to Tanzanian farmers, after restructuring its loan conditions to link them to sustainability. Farmers are engaged, and it’s a win-win situation: sustainable practices make farmers more resilient to climate change, which reduces risk for the bank, and applying the SRP standard helps farmers to reduce costs, increase yields and improve their profitability, which boosts their credibility with the bank. This model is also being tailored for informal microfinance institutions, as many Tanzanian farmers rely on microcredit groups. In the Democratic Republic of Congo, we’re partnering with local agricultural lender SMICO to roll out an eco-lending model. We aim for SMICO to lead by example, building evidence to inspire other financial institutions and reshape the lending landscape in the region.
While mature cooperatives can improve access to finance, helping to cover operational costs and eventually repaying their members, securing the right investment to grow the business over the medium to long term is a different challenge altogether. Two partner organisations in Benin and Burkina Faso recently secured loans from Kampani, a Belgian social impact fund co-funded by Rikolto in 2015. These funds are being used to invest in rice processing and distribution infrastructure, critical for improving quality and ensuring a consistent supply to their buyers. Although investment plays a key role, there are many other variables that influence the development of efficient local value chains.
“Rice smallholders in Africa actively participate in markets, as it is the case in Southeast Asia, India and China, rather than solely relying on subsistence farming.”
In the aftermath of the 2008 food price crisis, African governments increased subsidies and investment in rice production. However, insufficient support was given to developing local supply chains, and given that there are very weak connections between smallholder farmers, who make up the majority of rice producers, and industrial processors and distributors, this caused the entire sector to lose ground to the stable and cheap supply of imported rice. To reverse this trend, Rikolto is promoting the development of inclusive business relationships, not only between farmers and input suppliers or financial actors but also with existing processors and distributors, while developing models for establishing new local value chains.
Since 2021, processor and distributor SWT Tanners has committed to working more closely with Ugandan farmers on sustainable practices through an outgrower scheme. Previously sourcing all its rice from Pakistan, the company now procures 25% of its paddy locally. Although competition with Tanzanian rice remains strong, 350 tonnes of rice produced by the cooperatives supported by Rikolto rice in 2023 reached the market, compared to 100 tonnes in 2019, testifying to a positive trend. SWT Tanners aims to reach 70% local rice in the near future and is also working with Rikolto to help farmers access credit and reduce mechanisation costs.
Similarly, in Senegal, we’re working with SFA, a rice processor, and the Belgian branch of Durabilis, and have developed a roadmap with FPA, a producer organisation. The aim? To improve rice quality and increase yields on 10,000 hectares, involving 11,000 farmers. In return, by providing SFA – which sources 65% of its rice locally – with a steady supply of higher-quality paddy, FPA producers can secure a stable market. Aligning objectives has been the basis for building a strong business relationship, kicking off in 2023 with the first contract being signed with a union of 600 farmers for 1925 tonnes of quality paddy.
“While collaborations like this are essential to strengthening local markets, we also want to create new dynamics, such as the recently launched Healthy Rice Initiative,” explains John Ereng, Rice Programme Director for East Africa. “This multi-stakeholder collaboration in the Mbale City region brings together smallholder farmers, rice processors, aggregators and traders to jointly develop a local label for sustainably produced rice, inspired by the work done in the DRC.”
While collaborations like this are essential to strengthening local markets, we also want to create new dynamics, such as the recently launched Healthy Rice Initiative. This multi-stakeholder collaboration in the Mbale City region brings together smallholder farmers, rice processors, aggregators and traders to jointly develop a local label for sustainably produced rice, inspired by the work done in the DRC.
The Nyange Nyange label is a 100% Congolese local rice brand, named after the white egret, which unlike other birds doesn’t damage crops – a symbol of peace and tranquillity, its white colour representing purity. This powerful image, combined with the quality of the rice, has led to a breakthrough in the Bukavu market. Branding has proven to be a valuable asset – not only increasing product awareness, but also building trust and credibility. Launched in 2022, Nyange Nyange is sourced from local cooperatives and certified by a non-profit organisation that ensures the intrinsic quality of the rice through ongoing quality control. From 2021 to 2023, Nyange Nyange rice sales averaged 42 tonnes annually. With 38.7 tonnes sold by June, this year is on track to exceed expectations. In 2023, the model has been replicated in the Tanganyika region: sustainable rice is being sold in both traditional and urban markets under the “Magoyo rice” label.
As consumer preferences and incomes evolve, especially in urban areas, there are also new opportunities for product differentiation. Pascal Gbayi, programme coordinator in Benin, notes: “Working with clusters of producers and rice processors has encouraged the development of value chains for agroecological white rice, organic rice and brown, red and parboiled rice, which offer higher nutritional value. This diverse range of products meets different local market demands and competes with imported Asian rice.”
In Benin and Mali, the franchising business model piloted in Burkina Faso to bring quality parboiled on the market is set to be replicated. “Co-developed with the women’s parboiler union UNERIZ, this model enhances the role of women in a traditionally male-dominated value chain and recognises their significant contributions to rice processing. It also ensures better prices for farmers supplying the paddy,” says Michel Tougma, Programme Manager in Burkina Faso. The 100% long-grain rice, naturally aromatic and free of impurities, produced by these women franchisees has captured a greater market share, with sales nearly doubling between 2021 and the end of 2023. By July 2024, they had already reached 85% of their total sales volume from 2023 . The new distribution centre, made possible through Kampani’s investment, is expected to improve supply consistency and further expand their market.
“Our assumption that the yield gap can be narrowed in 30 years may be overoptimistic”
To drive meaningful, system-wide change, we need to think long-term. While these initiatives hold potential, accelerating their adoption requires more than just private sector involvement – it calls for active engagement from governments, civil society and a wide range of stakeholders. In countries with high import dependency, stakeholders should focus on national and regional policies that reduce trade barriers while also fostering resilient local and regional rice markets. That’s why we’re collaborating with diverse partners to push for policies and reforms that allow inclusive and local initiatives to thrive and scale.
In Tanzania for instance, Rikolto has joined the task force that supports the National Rice Development Strategy with technical expertise and is actively promoting the SRP standard. In Uganda, we’re informing government decisions by providing field-based evidence. In the Eastern region, for example, community-managed wetlands have led to a 16% increase in agrobiodiversity. Historically, government support for rice production in these areas has been limited due to concerns about fragile ecosystems. Our project provides a sustainable solution that enables local farmers to prosper while protecting the environment that sustains their livelihoods. Similar processes have taken place in Burkina Faso, Senegal and Mali, where sustainable or agroecological rice production is being integrated into national rice development policies.
“In Mali, PGS Bio Local has been officially recognised by the Malian Centre for the Promotion of Industrial Ownership (CEMAPI) as an organic certification label for rice thanks to the advocacy efforts of Rikolto, PNPR-M and IFRIZ among others. This initiative aims to label local produce, boost farmers’ incomes and offer consumers high-quality products,” says Bréhima Dembele, Rikolto’s Rice Programme Manager in Mali.
In West Africa, Rikolto is strengthening inter-professional organisations such as CIRIZ in Senegal, CCRB in Benin, CIRB in Burkina Faso and IFRIZ in Mali, as these groups, which represent stakeholders across the rice value chain, are at the forefront of lobbying national governments to shape public policy.
In conclusion, the transformation of rice production across the continent hinges on fostering inclusive cooperation between the different actors working in the same landscapes. Sustainable production gains must be accompanied by efforts to meet consumer demand and leverage the influence of retailers within the value chain, but also to build confidence in the sustainability of the results. Building solid evidence on the ground can inspire national governments and other key stakeholders to support and replicate sustainable initiatives.
A food systems approach, inclusiveness and sustainability are the three core principles that must be embraced if we are to foster dialogue, create a shared vision that strengthens collaboration at all levels and enable scaling up.
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