At the 2024 Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) Beijing Summit, Chinese President Xi Jinping introduced ten partnership actions to further modernize Africa, including a focus on agriculture and livelihoods. Among these actions, the promotion of perennial rice technology has emerged as a key initiative to support Africa’s food security and agricultural modernization.
Perennial rice is a variety that can be harvested multiple times after being planted once, reducing the need for seasonal tilling and re-seeding, which are labor-intensive processes in traditional rice farming. This innovation, developed by Chinese agricultural scientists, offers high yields, low carbon emissions, and significant labor and cost savings for farmers. The technology has gained international recognition, being named an “International Agricultural Technology Innovation” by the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization in 2018 and one of the “Top Ten Scientific Breakthroughs” by the journal Science in 2022.
The African Union (AU) has embraced the potential of perennial rice, incorporating it into its strategic projects. In 2023, the AU’s ministerial committee on agriculture included perennial rice in its biotechnology initiatives. By 2024, the AU had endorsed perennial rice as a key technology for Africa’s agricultural modernization, with trials already underway in countries like Uganda, Madagascar, Malawi, Nigeria, and Kenya.
China remains committed to supporting Africa through a market-oriented and commercial approach, advancing agricultural technologies such as perennial rice. This initiative is aligned with broader programs like the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Program (CAADP) and the Common African Agricultural Parks (CAAPs), aiming to modernize Africa’s agriculture, improve food security, and reduce poverty.
Looking ahead, China plans to deepen cooperation with African nations by introducing more advanced agricultural technologies and investment to strengthen Africa’s agricultural sector. Through these efforts, China and Africa aim to build a sustainable, mutually beneficial partnership for modernization and food security.
