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December 4, 2008
A multi-country rice research
network in West and Central Africa – which goes by its French
acronym, ROCARIZ – won the Outstanding Partnership Award at the
2008 Annual General Meeting of the Consultative Group on
International Agricultural Research (CGIAR), 1-5 December 2008,
in Maputo, Mozambique.
The award was jointly received by the Chair and Coordinator of
ROCARIZ, which is hosted by the
Africa Rice Center
(WARDA)
ROCARIZ was singled out for “its decentralized, issue-driven
task force approach” that has enabled it to successfully foster
a high level of national involvement in collaborative research
to improve rice productivity in both rainfed and irrigated
systems in West and Central Africa.
ROCARIZ has more than 150 national scientists today from 21 West
and Central African countries and international scientists from
the Africa Rice Center. It has enhanced resource-use and
research efficiencies and facilitated rapid and efficient
technology dissemination to end-users.
The network has played a central role in the development and
distribution of the both upland and lowland NERICA® varieties,
which helped achieve a 6 percent increase in African rice
production in 2006/07.
“ROCARIZ has not only strengthened the rice R&D capacity of our
national partners, but has also helped the Africa Rice Center
attain critical mass in areas where alone it would not be
possible,” said Dr Papa Abdoulaye Seck, Director General, Africa
Rice Center.
“This award is all the more significant because the new CGIAR is
adopting a more open and dynamic approach to partnership,” Dr
Seck added. |
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