Over the last several years, IRRI has made excellent progress in developing a common vision with WARDA, the Africa Rice Center, on how to approach the challenges facing rice producers in sub-Saharan Africa. The IRRI 2008 report highlights seven research programmes:-
- Raising productivity in rainfed environments: attacking the roots of poverty (Program 1)
- Sustaining productivity in intensive rice-based systems: rice and the environment (Program 2)
- East and southern Africa: rice for rural incomes and an affordable urban staple (Program 3)
- Rice and human health: overcoming the consequences of poverty (Program 4)
- Rice genetic diversity and discovery: meeting the needs of future generations for rice genetic resources (Program 5)
- Information and communication: convening a global rice research community (Program 6)
- Rice policy support and impact assessment for rice research (Program 7)