The rice sector in Africa is going to be “evidenced-based and therefore very solid and powerful,” he said. At a time when the developed world agonizes over the value of science, Africa sees an opportunity to grab a lot of market share by using science to improve their food production and become a next exporter, and then the rest of the world can play catch up.
“Rice is global and it is big business,” said Macauley,a Sierra Leonean national, in his first speech to the AfricaRice staff in Cotonou, Benin. “It is the white gold of the future. We at AfricaRice should consider ourselves fortunate to be in big business already”.
Roy-Macauley outlined his first priorities as:
- Rendering partnerships more efficient around rice science and sector development
- Strengthening capacity for rice science and sector development
- Improving access of small-holders rice producers to markets
- Reintegrating rice science in the policy agenda of countries
- Increasing investments in rice science and sector development
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