The search for new models for organizing regional agricultural research in the post-colonial era: Rice in West Africa

The West African Rice Development Association (WARDA), created in 1971 as a regional network of rice research stations and governed by member countries, was unique within the system of international agricultural research centers that emerged in the post-colonial era. This paper reviews the actors, the actors, their motives, and the political and organizational debates involves in establishing WARDA. In particular, it traces the roles and interests of the former colonial powers, especially the French, the newly independent countries of the region, international organizations, and US foreign assistance and philanthropic agencies. Although all agreed that rice research was a priority for regional cooperation, the design of WARDA stimulated debates around centralization, governance, and funding of international research that continue until today.