 The East Africa Rice Conference 2021 will zoom in on thematic topics crucial to agricultural growth and food security in the region. Learn from scientists and experts about different topics that support sustainable agriculture and improve farmers' productivity and livelihoods in the region. Rice research and development. Rice research plays an important role in addressing major challenges related to rice production in the East Africa region. This session will focus on two critical aspects. Rice mechanization and post-harvest technologies adapted to local conditions and the roles of regional centres of excellence in accelerating rice research for development. The use of agricultural machinery is limited in the region, and harvest and post-harvest losses are relatively high, with dominance of traditional production methods leading to low yields, poor grain quality, and less market value and competitiveness compared with important rice. Scientists and experts in this session will share experiences from Asia and Africa to effectively address these issues. Several centres of excellence are now being established in East Africa to act as incubation centres and lighthouses for innovative research, capacity building, and technology validation and dissemination. Two models will be presented. This session will also bring in discussions on potential roles that these centres should play in coordinating research and development efforts in the region, including those under the new OneCGIAR initiative. Inclusive markets and value chains. Inclusive agri-food systems can reach, benefit, and empower the population, especially the socially and economically disadvantaged groups and individuals in the society, both producers and consumers, helping to contribute to multiple sustainable development goals. This session will focus on how inclusive rice-based markets and value chains can bring a wide range of economic and development benefits. It can create better income opportunities, thereby reducing hunger and poverty. Key actors can spark innovation in the production and consumption of healthy foods, thus improving nutrition for both producers and consumers, and boosting the incomes of small holder farmers and other rice value chain actors. In East Africa, rice-based agri-food systems are now at a critical juncture. The scale and the pace of change taking place in regional, national, and local food systems are unprecedented. These systems are evolving quickly to meet growing and changing demand, but they are not serving everyone's needs. This challenge is compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic. As the international community battles the pandemic and as African economies and livelihoods are disrupted, poor and vulnerable people are likely to suffer. Addressing the immediate impacts of the shock urgently requires effective targeted policy interventions to protect the most vulnerable in the short term. Thus, an inclusive value chain approach can zoom in on the hidden middle of the rice value chain. As rice value chain becomes longer and more complex in response to urban demand, there will be a critical need for ensuring food safety and quality through regulation, certification, and inspection, as well as innovations for storage and transportation. Rice-based livelihoods, gender and youth integration. The Rice-based livelihoods, Gender and Youth Integration Stream is focused on the integration of gender and youth in programs and processes to support the transformation of rice-based agri-food systems in East Africa. Women and youth play a large and growing role in East Africa's rice systems and constitute up to 80% of the agricultural workforce in some countries. They handle most farming operations. The role of youth, especially young women, is also pivotal. Yet notwithstanding the central role of women and young people in the region's rice-based systems, there is still an unsettling disparity in the support they receive from both public and private sources, a key reason behind their lower average productivity compared with men. They acquire only a small portion of their harvest because of the existing norms, policies, and laws that put them at a significant economic and social disadvantage. Women are also at a disadvantage in accessing inputs, mechanization, and knowledge of new technologies and innovations. In addition, their access to credit and financial resources is minimal because of current lending policies of financial institutions. Youth, on the other hand, are marginalized in many countries lacking sufficient employment opportunities, land if they choose to stay in agriculture, and financial capital if they attempt to enter the rural, non-form economy.