Senior scientists and policy leaders have renewed calls for intensified South–South cooperation in scientific research as a cornerstone in the battle against Africa’s persistent food insecurity and malnutrition. At the heart of this initiative lies China’s genomic powerhouse, BGI Group, which has pledged sustained collaboration with African partners to co-develop enhanced rice varieties better suited to the continent’s ecological and nutritional demands.
Speaking on the periphery of the CGIAR Science Week, held in Nairobi, Wang Jian, Co-founder and Chairman of BGI Group, underscored the strategic imperative of fostering scientific collaboration amongst biodiversity-rich nations of the Global South. He posited that joint ventures in biotechnology and crop science are essential in engineering high-yield, climate-resilient rice strains capable of transforming Africa’s agricultural landscape.
Highlighting ongoing endeavours, Wang pointed to BGI’s alliance with local African institutions in the research and deployment of perennial rice — an innovation hailed as one of 2022’s top ten scientific breakthroughs by the journal Science. Unlike conventional strains, perennial rice regenerates without replanting, rendering it significantly more resilient amid accelerating climate shifts and urban encroachment.
Dr Xu Xun, Director of BGI-Research, noted that the crop’s potential extends beyond yield. “Perennial rice epitomises sustainable innovation — a crop that thrives where others fail, with reduced input costs and minimal environmental strain,” he stated. He also disclosed BGI’s involvement with the African Orphan Crops Consortium, an African Union-backed initiative, which seeks to decode the genetic make-up of 101 indigenous crops in pursuit of long-term food resilience.
Furthermore, Wang reiterated China’s readiness to expand collaboration in areas spanning research, capacity-building, and technology transfer. He cited successful trials of perennial rice in Uganda, Rwanda, and Madagascar, noting its resistance to drought, pests, and diseases as key attributes that position it as a “game-changer” for Africa’s food-insecure regions.
Echoing these sentiments, Professor Apollinaire Djikeng, Director-General of the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), stressed that innovations already yielding dividends in China and elsewhere could readily be adapted to suit African agronomic realities. “It is incumbent upon nations with shared agro-ecological characteristics to co-develop scalable technologies capable of revolutionising our food systems,” he remarked.
The CGIAR Science Week, convened from 8 to 12 April in Kenya’s capital, brings together leading policymakers, donors, private sector actors, and scientific experts. Key thematic areas include strengthening climate adaptation, enhancing seed system resilience, fostering innovation diffusion, and promoting deeper South–South partnerships in agriculture and food security.
