Organized by the Institute of Rural Economy (IER), the second regional training of trainers’ workshop for the "Scaling Up Climate-Resilient Rice Production" project began on Monday, July 7, 2025, in Bamako, Mali. Committed to rice production adapted to the climate change impacts, more than 40 participants from 14 West African countries are taking part in this event, which will proceed until July 11.
The opening ceremony featured two keynote addresses.
Mr. Khalifa Traoré, Director General of the IER, reaffirmed his institution's commitment to effectively supporting the training. Ms. Khaoula Jaoui, OSS Climate Department Director, emphasized the strategic importance of this second session in building regional capacities and the need to incorporate feedback to refine educational content and training approaches. She also welcomed the participation of the APICA-GNB project, implemented by the OSS in Guinea-Bissau with the Green Climate Fund (GCF) support.
After officially launching the workshop, Mr. Tiemo Taoré, Legal Advisor and representative of the Malian Minister of Agriculture, highlighted the strategic importance of rice for West Africa and reminded that the region produces only 60% of the 20 million tons it consumes every year, increasing its dependence on imports. He called on participants, particularly master trainers, to fully embrace SRI and CRRP approaches, which guarantee more resilient and sustainable production.
Following the opening ceremony, national coordinators presented the progress and results achieved in each country since the project's launch and emphasized the importance of conducting direct consultations with beneficiary rice farmers to promote effective ownership and successful dissemination of SRI-CRRP at the local level. Discussions also highlighted the need to establish strong and effective public-private partnerships to strengthen the sustainability of the initiatives undertaken. At the same time, master trainers shared key lessons learned from the training sessions, particularly with local producers, as well as on-the-spot feedback.
The workshop will also include practical sessions on SRI and CRRP techniques, and further discussions on monitoring and evaluation mechanisms. These activities will strengthen technical skills, promote regional harmonization of approaches, and consolidate the foundations for the successful scaling up of climate-resilient rice production in West Africa.