Farmers across 13 West African countries are set to benefit from a $9.44 million grant approved by the African Development Fund (ADF) to enhance climate resilience within the region’s rice value chains.
The funding, announced on 17 July 2025, will be implemented through the Africa Rice Center (AfricaRice), the concessional funding window of the African Development Bank Group, under the Regional Resilient Rice Value Chains Development Project in West Africa (REWARD), specifically its adaptation component, REWARD-Adaptation.
Supported through the ADF’s Climate Action Window, the initiative targets rice producers and processors in Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Senegal, Sierra Leone, and Togo.
The project aims to scale up climate-smart agricultural practices and technologies throughout the rice production and processing sectors to strengthen food security and rural livelihoods while lowering greenhouse gas emissions.
“The strategy for this project is to reduce the vulnerability and strengthen the resilience of rice value chains, from production to processing and marketing, while lowering greenhouse gas emissions through the dissemination and adoption of climate-smart practices and technologies,” said Marwan Ladki, Senior Irrigation Engineer at the African Development Bank and project lead.
Key interventions under the project include the distribution of climate-resilient rice seeds to 11,000 farmers—of whom nearly 45% are women and 60% are youth. It will also train 12,600 farmers and processors in improved agricultural and processing techniques.
Additionally, the initiative will support 65 small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with access to modern equipment and business networks. Climate services and early warning systems will be delivered via digital platforms and radio broadcasts, targeting up to 2 million people across the region.
To enhance climate monitoring and preparedness, four automatic weather stations will be installed in each participating country to improve spatial coverage and the accuracy of climate data.
Overall, the project is expected to create 47,000 new jobs, including 8,000 permanent and 39,000 seasonal positions, significantly boosting rural employment and economic resilience in the face of climate change.
