Long-Term Funding Supports AfricaRice Genebank and the Future of Rice Diversity

Over 35 million smallholder rice farmers across Africa are set to benefit from a landmark agreement between the Crop Trust and the Africa Rice Center (AfricaRice), which secures the future of one of the continent’s most important food staples.

Signed last month, the agreement guarantees long-term financial support for AfricaRice’s genebank in Côte d’Ivoire — the largest rice collection in Africa and the only one worldwide that conserves African rice (O. glaberrima) and its wild relatives at scale. Backed by the Crop Trust Endowment Fund, the partnership ensures that the collection — which holds more than 21,000 samples, 85 percent originating in Africa — will be preserved and made available to farmers and researchers in perpetuity.

“We are proud and excited to be entering into this Long-Term Partnership Agreement with AfricaRice, marking our fourth since the first one with IRRI in 2018,” said Dr. Stefan Schmitz, Executive Director of the Crop Trust. “The Crop Trust is making this commitment to ensure that the vital work of AfricaRice’s genebank continues with the necessary resources to operate effectively. The generous support that our Endowment Fund receives from donors around the world is crucial to climate-proofing our agri-food systems and dealing with unforeseen threats to genebanks and the crop diversity that they hold in trust for humanity.”

Rice is already a dietary staple in 40 out of 54 African countries, eaten almost daily in Sierra Leone, Liberia, Guinea, Senegal, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Nigeria, and Madagascar. With demand rising nearly 6 percent each year — faster than for any other staple — safeguarding its diversity has become urgent. Despite being central to everyday meals and festive occasions, Africa still imports around a third of the rice it consumes. Climate change, pests, and loss of diversity threaten to deepen this dependency.

“As a 20-year veteran at AfricaRice, and as a rice breeder for five years before that, I am acutely aware of the challenges that scientists, farmers and seed producers grapple with on a warming planet,” said Dr. Baboucarr Manneh, Director General of AfricaRice. “This partnership with the Crop Trust means that our genebank will be able to continue its mission of conserving and making available our rich reservoir of genetic resources in perpetuity. We look forward to a fruitful partnership that builds resilience to the many challenges that our food systems face across Africa and beyond.”

The AfricaRice genebank, located at the institute’s research station in M’bé, Côte d’Ivoire, is the third-largest rice genebank globally and has played a pivotal role in breeding rice varieties for African farmers. Its most notable contributions include the NERICA (New Rice for Africa) hybrids — which combine high-yield Asian rice with resilient African rice traits — and ARICA varieties tailored to West and Central Africa. NERICA alone has lifted 8 million people out of poverty and food insecurity across 16 countries by significantly boosting yields and farmer incomes.

“This agreement helps fulfill the Crop Trust’s mandate of securing the world’s crop diversity and charts a path for other key genebanks to follow,” added Dr. Sarada Krishnan, Director of Programs at the Crop Trust. “We hope our financial assistance will be a boon to a generation of rice farmers and breeders who help feed millions of people on the African continent.”

Beyond conservation, AfricaRice distributes its seed diversity widely — more than 38,000 samples over the past decade to research centers, universities, and NGOs across 17 countries. The genebank is also investing in advanced technology: artificial intelligence will soon help monitor seed storage conditions in real time, optimize regeneration schedules, and streamline access for breeders.

For Dr. Marie Noelle Ndjiondjop, Head of the Genetic Resources Unit at AfricaRice, the Crop Trust’s commitment validates years of painstaking work: “The significance of the Crop Trust’s ongoing support for our genebank is immense. This agreement is a vote of confidence in the work we have done over many years. The rice samples in our genebank have been efficiently maintained at a high standard and used over the years to develop modern improved varieties adapted to the different rice-growing conditions in Africa. As breeders and farmers increasingly shift their focus from disease resistance to climate resilience and grain-quality traits, AfricaRice can adapt to these evolving demands in the knowledge that the Crop Trust is standing with us. We are very grateful for its support.”

AfricaRice now joins three other international genebanks — IITA in Nigeria, IRRI in the Philippines, and the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT in Colombia — in securing a Long-Term Partnership Agreement with the Crop Trust.

By conserving rice diversity today, the partnership aims to ensure that Africa’s rice fields remain productive, resilient, and central to both nutrition and livelihoods for generations to come.