Rice: The Colonial Origins of Food Crop Research in West Africa

Abstract:Colonial powers in West Africa emphasized agricultural research and development on export crops at the expense of food crops. The major exception was rice where both the British and French prioritized research despite its relatively minor role in the diets of most colonies. This paper analyzes the special status of rice in colonial development programs. It surveys the parallel development of centralized rice research capacity in both British and French colonies but their very different experiences immediately after independence. The final section describes the emerging set of international actors who facilitated the development of a regional approach to rice research shortly after independence.