# Africa Rice Center

> research center in Ivory Coast

**Wikidata**: [Q383924](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q383924)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Africa_Rice_Center)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/africa-rice-center

## Summary
The Africa Rice Center (AfricaRice) is an international research institute based in Ivory Coast, dedicated to advancing rice science and technology to improve food security in Africa. Established in 1971, it operates as part of the CGIAR network and focuses exclusively on rice-related research, development, and capacity-building across the continent.

## Key Facts
- Founded in 1971 as the West Africa Rice Development Association (WARDA), later renamed Africa Rice Center (AfricaRice)
- Headquartered in Bouaké, Ivory Coast, with coordinates 6.420837° N, 2.326334° E
- Operates under the parent organization CGIAR (Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research)
- Recognized by multiple identifiers: ROR ID 040y9br29, GRID ID grid.466524.7, ISNI 0000000099575074, VIAF ID 168766533
- Maintains websites in English (africarice.org) and French (africarice-fr.org)
- Active on social media: Twitter (@africarice, since 2009), Facebook (AfricaRiceCenter), YouTube (africaricecenter, since 2007)
- Known by multiple aliases: AfricaRice, WARDA, ADRAO (French acronym), Западноафриканская ассоциация развития риса (Russian)
- Classified as both an international organization and a research institute
- Has 11 Wikipedia language editions, including English, French, German, Russian, and Japanese
- Received 746,645 YouTube views as of November 2025
- Twitter following grew from 4,633 (2020) to 4,847 (2021)
- Library of Congress Authority ID: no2006017967
- Microsoft Academic ID (discontinued): 90060838

## FAQs

### What is the Africa Rice Center's primary mission?
The Africa Rice Center focuses exclusively on rice research and development to enhance food security in Africa. It conducts scientific investigations, develops improved rice varieties, and builds capacity among African researchers and farmers.

### Where is the Africa Rice Center located?
The center is headquartered in Bouaké, Ivory Coast, with geographic coordinates 6.420837° N, 2.326334° E. It operates as an international organization with pan-African reach.

### What organizations is Africa Rice Center affiliated with?
Africa Rice Center is part of CGIAR, a global partnership that unites organizations engaged in research for a food-secure future. It maintains formal relationships with multiple knowledge organization systems and library databases.

### How can I follow Africa Rice Center's work?
The center maintains active social media presence on Twitter (@africarice), Facebook (AfricaRiceCenter), and YouTube (africaricecenter). It also publishes research findings on its official websites in English and French.

### What are some of Africa Rice Center's key identifiers?
The center is recognized through multiple international identification systems: ROR ID 040y9br29, GRID ID grid.466524.7, ISNI 0000000099575074, and VIAF ID 168766533. These identifiers help track its research outputs and institutional relationships.

## Why It Matters
The Africa Rice Center plays a crucial role in addressing food security challenges in Africa by focusing exclusively on rice research and development. As rice becomes increasingly important in African diets, the center's work in developing improved varieties, sustainable farming practices, and capacity-building programs directly impacts millions of farmers and consumers. By operating as part of the CGIAR network, Africa Rice Center contributes to global agricultural research while maintaining a specific focus on African needs and conditions. Its research helps smallholder farmers increase productivity, adapt to climate change, and improve their livelihoods, making it a key institution in the fight against hunger and poverty in Africa.

## Notable For
- Being one of the few research institutes dedicated exclusively to rice science in Africa
- Operating as part of the prestigious CGIAR network of agricultural research centers
- Maintaining a strong multilingual presence with websites in English and French
- Having a comprehensive social media strategy across multiple platforms
- Being recognized by multiple international identification systems for research organizations
- Producing significant YouTube content with over 746,000 views
- Maintaining a consistent growth in social media following over years
- Having multiple official aliases reflecting its international nature
- Being classified as both an international organization and a research institute
- Contributing to 11 different Wikipedia language editions

## Body

### History and Establishment
The Africa Rice Center was established in 1971 as the West Africa Rice Development Association (WARDA). It was created to address the growing importance of rice in African diets and the need for specialized research to improve rice production on the continent. Over time, the organization expanded its scope beyond West Africa and was renamed Africa Rice Center, though it continues to be known by its original acronym WARDA and other aliases like AfricaRice and ADRAO.

### Organizational Structure and Affiliations
Africa Rice Center operates as an international organization under the umbrella of CGIAR (Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research). This affiliation connects it to a global network of research centers working on agricultural development. The center is formally classified as both an international organization and a research institute in various knowledge organization systems.

### Location and Facilities
The center is headquartered in Bouaké, Ivory Coast, with precise geographic coordinates of 6.420837° N, 2.326334° E. This location serves as the primary hub for its research activities and administrative operations. The headquarters facility is equipped to conduct advanced rice research and host international scientists and partners.

### Research Focus and Impact
As a specialized research institute, Africa Rice Center focuses exclusively on rice science and technology. Its research covers all aspects of rice production, from developing improved varieties to studying sustainable farming practices. The center's work directly impacts food security in Africa by helping farmers increase yields, adapt to climate change, and improve their economic conditions.

### Digital Presence and Communication
The center maintains a strong digital presence with official websites in both English (africarice.org) and French (africarice-fr.org). It actively engages with stakeholders through social media platforms including Twitter (@africarice, established in 2009), Facebook (AfricaRiceCenter), and YouTube (africaricecenter, established in 2007). As of November 2025, its YouTube channel had accumulated 746,645 views, demonstrating significant engagement with its digital content.

### International Recognition and Identification
Africa Rice Center is recognized through multiple international identification systems that help track its research outputs and institutional relationships. These include:
- ROR ID: 040y9br29
- GRID ID: grid.466524.7
- ISNI: 0000000099575074
- VIAF ID: 168766533
- Library of Congress Authority ID: no2006017967
- Microsoft Academic ID (discontinued): 90060838

### Multilingual Representation
The center's work and importance are recognized globally, as evidenced by its representation in 11 different Wikipedia language editions. These include major languages like English, French, German, Russian, and Japanese, as well as Hausa, demonstrating its relevance across different cultural and linguistic contexts in Africa and beyond.

### Social Media Growth and Engagement
Africa Rice Center has shown consistent growth in its social media following. Its Twitter account grew from 4,633 followers in April 2020 to 4,847 followers in January 2021. This steady increase in followers indicates growing interest in its work and research outputs among the global agricultural research community and general public.

### Research Outputs and Knowledge Dissemination
The center produces significant research outputs that are disseminated through various channels. Its YouTube channel, established in 2007, has become an important platform for sharing research findings, with over 746,000 views as of November 2025. The center also maintains a presence on Quora (Africa-Rice-Center topic) and other platforms to engage with diverse audiences.

### Institutional Relationships
Africa Rice Center maintains formal relationships with multiple knowledge organization systems and library databases. These relationships help ensure its research is properly cataloged and accessible to the global scientific community. The center is also connected to various academic and research identification systems that track its institutional outputs and impact.

## References

1. GRID Release 2017-01-10
2. ROR release v1.19
3. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013
4. Google Knowledge Graph
5. GRID Release 2016-12-06
6. Quora
7. YouTube API
8. Microsoft Academic Knowledge Graph
9. National Library of Israel Names and Subjects Authority File