949.  Rice Self-sufficiency in Africa

Today we would like to share with you an article in Nature Communications by Dr. Kazuki Saito, who is closely associated with the International Agricultural Research Institute, entitled "Intensifying rice production to reduce imports and land conversion in Africa".

Historically, maize, sorghum and cassava have been staple foods in Africa, but economic growth and changing consumer preferences have led to an increase in rice consumption. Combined with population growth, rice consumption in Africa has increased significantly over the past 30 years.

Africa is about 60% self-sufficient in rice, but relies on imports to meet the shortfall in consumption. Over the past decade, rice area has increased by nearly 40%, but yields have stagnated on average. Import dependence poses a risk to food security, and it is a long-standing desire of African countries to improve their self-sufficiency rates.

This study integrated a crop simulation model with weather, soil, and production management datasets from different production regions to estimate the potential for increased production, land expansion, and imports on existing farmland in Africa by 2050 under different intensification scenarios.

The analysis shows that Africa can avoid and eliminate further import dependence by continuing the current pace of cropland expansion and eliminating more than half of the gap between achievable and current yields. On the other hand, meeting future rice demand without significant yield gains will require increased rice imports and further environmental degradation through further expansion of cropland.

Identifying suitable areas for rice production in Africa, especially for irrigated rice, and implementing innovations to improve yields is important to contribute to global food security and conservation.
 

Reference
Yuan, S., Saito, K., van Oort, P.A.J. et al. Intensifying rice production to reduce imports and land conversion in Africa. Nat Commun 15, 835 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-44950-8

Contributor: IIYAMAMiyuki (Information Program)