The Rice Development Partnership Project resulted in the rapid registration of new rice varieties in Africa that brought about by the following innovations: 1) it has drastically shortened the time and process required for rice breeding from the traditional 10-15 years to 3-5 years using the anther culture method. 2) the exchange of germplasm among African countries and Korea has produced the ideal breeding materials by crossing Korean Japonica rice and elite African varieties. Korean Japonica brings desirable characteristics such as high yield potential and soft cooking especially when cooled. 3) it has strengthened the rice breeding capacity of the National Agricultural Research Institutes (NARIs) in African countries. Theories and practical skills of the entire breeding process from seed preparation to selection were transferred to four batches of breeders and breeding technicians who conducted the National Performance Tests (NPT) for elite lines adapted to local ecologies of rice.

The average rice yield in Africa is 2.2 t/ha which is low in comparison with the growing regional demand. To minimize the gap between regional supply and demand, the project was implemented in three phases. The first phase (completed) focused on laying the foundation for the project’s promotion by developing rice varieties, establishing a cooperative network, installing research facilities, and nurturing breeding personnel. Five new rice varieties with an average yield of 7.0 t/ha have been developed and released in Senegal, Mali, and Malawi. The Senegalese ones are gaining popularity among farmers because of their high productivity and consumers’ appreciation for their good taste. In the second phase (in progress), the development and registration of new rice varieties for high yield are further accelerated. The direction of the project is also expanded to develop early maturing new varieties that are resistant to drought, salinity, and pests according to local ecology.

The Rice Development Partnership Project was launched in cooperation between KAFACI and AfricaRice for the rapid development and spread of high-yielding quality rice varieties in Africa. KAFACI dispatched breeding experts to the AfricaRice Center in Senegal to set up and operate the modern breeding laboratory and carry out the project. AfricaRice, meanwhile, provided rice fields and built up connections between KAFACI and African countries, which are vital in reinforcing project implementation.

The project has contributed to reducing the rice supply and demand gap in Africa, especially in Senegal, where newly registered varieties are targeted to cover 16% of the National Rice Self-Sufficiency Plan. Farmers are satisfied with a twice higher yield of new rice varieties comparing to local varieties. Consumers prefer new varieties to local ones because they taste good, digest well, and are easy to cook. Rice retailers also attained a 14% higher profit by selling the new variety.

Five excellent rice varieties were developed and registered in Senegal, Mali, and Malawi with an average yield of 7.0 t/ha compared to 2.2 t/ha in Africa and 4.5 t/ha worldwide. The Senegalese varieties were included in the National Rice Self-Sufficiency Plan due to high quantity and quality. The capacity of African rice breeders has been enhanced through breeding training. The project's satisfaction survey reveals an average of 93.4% over three years. Principal investigators' evaluation indicates that the project has a strong sustainability plan, efficient implementation mode, and relevance to the country’s goals. The Director-General of AfricaRice said, “this project is significantly contributing to powering a quiet rice revolution in Africa". By the end of this project by 2025, a total of 55 varieties will be registered and disseminated, with the aim to increase African rice productivity to 25%, which will contribute to the UN's SDG 2 of Zero Hunger by 2030.

Among many constraints, the most serious is the lack of competencies to develop and disseminate suitable rice varieties and cultivation technologies in the countries' public sector. This is followed by poor agricultural facilities and equipment and differences in working culture. To overcome these and improve the rice breeding capacity of national programs, KAFACI dispatched breeding experts to AfricaRice and pushed for intensive breeding training courses to build the capacities needed at each country’s level. KAFACI also led the exchange of germplasm among Africa countries and Korea to broaden the former’s gene pool. Due to the coronavirus pandemic outbreak in 2020, the holding of the Variety Registration Committee was canceled–thereby delaying the registration of the varieties. Discussions with policy-makers of each country are being done in order to hold the variety registration committee as soon as possible.

For the innovation to be successful, it was of utmost importance to strengthen the breeding capabilities of NARIs in African countries. KAFACI has provided intensive training for breeders and technicians of member countries. Also, the application of new breeding technology that innovatively shortened the traditional breeding period and process, and the exchange of genetic resources among African countries and Korea, which were highly strategic, were paramount innovations. Strong consistency and commitment in pursuing the project are essential conditions for success in both KAFACI and recipient African countries. As is the case with Korean experts and breeders participating in the project sharing and solving the problems they faced using SNS. Finally, it is also necessary to improve countries’ farmland and irrigation facilities and establish a national seed multiplication and distribution system led by governments to be able to supply high-quality seeds to farmers seamlessly.

This project, conducted in collective and cooperative manners with 19 African countries could have an impact on other countries facing food shortages due to low agricultural productivity. From the viewpoint of the project's design and implementation processes, replication potential would be increased if experiences obtained through cooperation with African people and authorities were properly applied. To improve rice productivity, specific conditions for successful replication are as follows: 1. national breeding capabilities should be enhanced by sharing expert’s experiences, knowledge, and training; 2. the superior germplasms would be secured to produce elite lines for variety registration by exchanging germplasms among countries participating in the project; and 3. policy-makers' support is needed to improve farmland and expand irrigation facilities for rice cultivation and to operate national seed multiplication and distribution systems to provide quality seeds to farmers.

Standardized indicators are a prerequisite for a cooperative and coordinated implementation of an international project. Without a detailed project information and data gathering system, participating countries may face difficulties in project processes and thereby influence outcomes. Similar events happened in the current project. All 19 participating NARIs received the same number of promising lines of rice to perform the NPT for varietal release in each country. They all participated in the four-month intensive breeding training and the workshops to regularly monitor their progress, share information obtained by similar projects, and refine results and impacts. However, when the first phase of the project was completed, the results differed greatly from one country to another. While the new varieties were registered in some countries, elite lines disseminated to advance NPT were lost in others.

Inaugurated in July 2010 with 16 African countries and the Republic of Korea, the Korea-Africa Food and Agriculture Cooperation Initiative (KAFACI) is currently composed of 23 countries. It aims to promote sustainable agricultural green growth in the African region to eradicate poverty and starvation, and contribute to consistent economic development in the member countries through technological cooperation in the agricultural and food sector.
Over the past 10 years, KAFACI has conducted 14 projects including the AfricaRice Development Partnership. Through the Rural Development Administration (RDA), Korea is sharing its agricultural technology knowledge and experience with the member countries through various research projects to solve common agricultural challenges faced by African countries such as integrated pest management of fall armyworm.