RICOWAS

West Africa has been identified as particularly vulnerable to climate change due to naturally high levels of climate variability combined with the heavy reliance on rain-fed agriculture and limited economic and institutional capacity to cope with climate change.

Rice is a commodity crop in West Africa and is highly important in regional food security for rural and urban populations.

Despite the regional initiative launched by the Economic Community of West African States - ECOWAS, yields have remained low. Even though they are available, climate-resilient rice production techniques are not yet widely disseminated and adopted.

The RICOWAS project aims to use an innovative approach to rice production that is resilient to the effects of climate change.

The main objective of the RICOWAS project is to improve the climate resilience and increase the productivity of the rice system of smallholder rice farmers across West Africa using a climate-resilient rice production approach.

Specific objectives :

• Strengthening the resilience and capacity of smallholder rice farmers in the region
• Helping farmers implement and scale up Climate Resilient Rice Production (CRRP)
• Supporting a communication platform to promote effective knowledge exchange
• Facilitating the establishment of a coalition of partners at national and regional levels

Expected results :

• Climate change is taken into account in the regional strategy of the Rice Offensive and the national integrated rice development strategies
• Key stakeholders operating in different climate zones and rice systems have acquired tools, knowledge and skills to address climate threats and sustainably implement CRRP
• Smallholder rice farmers in the project areas have successfully adopted SRI and CRRP practices, achieved higher rice productivity and improved their incomes and livelihoods
• Strengthened rice value chain through public-private partnerships (PPPs) and agricultural associations and cooperatives, and thus improved the resilience of small-scale rice farmers to the adverse effects of climate change
• Awareness and knowledge of CRRP in West Africa has increased significantly
• Strengthened partnerships and coordination to enable CRRP mainstreaming in West Africa.