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EU Economic Mission to Bouaké: Strengthening Local Rice Production in Africa

EU Economic Mission to Bouaké: Strengthening Local Rice Production in Africa

On Monday, January 20, 2024, Matthijs van Eeuwen, Deputy Head of Mission at the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Côte d'Ivoire, participated in a joint economic mission of the European Union to Bouaké, the second-largest city in Côte d'Ivoire, as part of TeamEurope, alongside colleagues from Belgium 🇧🇪, France 🇫🇷, Germany 🇩🇪, and the EU delegation 🇪🇺.

During this mission, a visit was organized to the Africa Rice Center, a pan-African center of excellence dedicated to research, development, and capacity building in the field of rice.

Rice is the second-largest source of food energy in Africa, with demand increasing by over 6% per year, the fastest-growing rate on the continent. Despite this, Africa remains one of the largest importers of rice. Strengthening local production is essential to reduce this dependency and promote self-sufficiency. AfricaRice contributes to this goal by supporting food security and sustainable production.

The center collaborates closely with the NWO (Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research), Wageningen University & Research, and the KIT Institute, leveraging Dutch expertise in agricultural innovation and water resource management.