This paper traces the origins and achievements of the R^seau Ouest et Centre Africain du Riz--ROCARIZ (West and Central Africa Rice Research and Development Network). The ROCARIZ institutional arrangement showed tha...This paper traces the origins and achievements of the R^seau Ouest et Centre Africain du Riz--ROCARIZ (West and Central Africa Rice Research and Development Network). The ROCARIZ institutional arrangement showed that rice science is approached from multi-stakeholder perspectives that place end users and entrepreneurs at the center of research for development, and collaboration among rice-based stakeholders can be enhanced and sustained. The ROCARIZ used competitive research grants through multi-stakeholder task forces to generate, adapt, and facilitate the adoption of rice-based technologies and approaches by resource poor households. The grants contributed to: (1) farmer adoption of high yielding and multiple stress resilient lowland NERICAs (New Rices for Africa) (NERICA-L); (2) producer access to credit and services resulting in increased marketing of quality seed rice, paddy, and grain rice by farmer entrepreneurs and poor rural households; (3) improved skills of stakeholders on the use of impact assessment tools to demonstrate adoption of rice-based technologies; (4) enhanced skills of rice breeders in molecular assisted marker selection to shorten the varietal development process; and (S) experiential learning and sharing to improve access to information and knowledge.展开更多
文摘This paper traces the origins and achievements of the R^seau Ouest et Centre Africain du Riz--ROCARIZ (West and Central Africa Rice Research and Development Network). The ROCARIZ institutional arrangement showed that rice science is approached from multi-stakeholder perspectives that place end users and entrepreneurs at the center of research for development, and collaboration among rice-based stakeholders can be enhanced and sustained. The ROCARIZ used competitive research grants through multi-stakeholder task forces to generate, adapt, and facilitate the adoption of rice-based technologies and approaches by resource poor households. The grants contributed to: (1) farmer adoption of high yielding and multiple stress resilient lowland NERICAs (New Rices for Africa) (NERICA-L); (2) producer access to credit and services resulting in increased marketing of quality seed rice, paddy, and grain rice by farmer entrepreneurs and poor rural households; (3) improved skills of stakeholders on the use of impact assessment tools to demonstrate adoption of rice-based technologies; (4) enhanced skills of rice breeders in molecular assisted marker selection to shorten the varietal development process; and (S) experiential learning and sharing to improve access to information and knowledge.