AfricaRice and CIMMYT Deepen Partnerships for Resilient Food Systems in Southern Africa
06 October 2026, Africa: A recent visit by the Director General of AfricaRice, Dr. Baboucarr Manneh, with an international delegation to CIMMYT’s Zimbabwe office created space for a timely conversation on how stronger scientific partnerships can help accelerate the transformation of food systems in southern Africa.
The delegation, which included representatives from Ivory Coast, Uganda, Nigeria, Thailand, Madagascar, engaged with CIMMYT scientists and regional leadership to learn about the scope and impact of CIMMYT’s research and innovations portfolio in the southern Africa region. Discussions also explored opportunities for the two CGIAR centers to bring together their complementary expertise and develop practical solutions to shared agricultural challenges in Africa.
The exchange reflected a growing recognition that crop research cannot happen in isolation. CIMMYT’s regional work increasingly connects crop improvement with climate-smart agriculture, farming systems, markets and scaling approaches to ensure that scientific innovations translate into meaningful benefits for farmers and communities.
“We deeply appreciate the opportunity to engage with CIMMYT here in Zimbabwe,” said Dr. Baboucarr. “Agriculture is changing, and our response must increasingly embrace integrated approaches. At AfricaRice, we want to draw on the best global practices to strengthen rice production and build a competitive sector that can offer a strong alternative to imports. The changing development landscape also calls on us to work together, not simply for the sake of collaboration, but around shared challenges where our combined science can deliver greater impact.”
CIMMYT Country Representative, Dr. Mainassara Zaman-Allah highlighted Zimbabwe’s important role as a regional research hub and CIMMYT’s focus on “science and innovation, productivity, inclusivity and resilience” to advance food and nutrition security. “As the funding and development landscape evolves, collaboration becomes even more important. By aligning our strengths around a shared vision, we can generate stronger science, accelerate innovation and deliver solutions that respond to the realities farmers and food systems face.”
The visit closed with a shared ambition to move beyond institutional connections towards practical scientific partnerships capable of supporting countries in achieving lasting food-system transformation
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