West Africa’s rice imperative: why investing in the value chain is the most important bet we can make Guangzhe ChenOusmane Diagana June 22, 2026 This page in: English

https://blogs.worldbank.org/en/voices/west-africas-rice-imperative-why-investing-in-the-value-chain-is-the-most-important-bet-we-can-make Every year, West Africa sends more than $3.5 billion abroad to buy rice — a staple food that millions of people across the region consume every day. Yet, this is a crop that grows and thrives in the region. Expanding domestic production is a major opportunity to strengthen food security, create jobs, boost rural incomes, and mitigate exposure to volatile global commodity markets.