More and more rice farmers in Africa are turning to the Intensive Rice System (SRI). This technique is beneficial to them because it reduces production costs and provides higher yields.

The benefits of this technique have allowed producers such as Marcel YAO KOUAKOU to become known as a model rice producer in Côte d'Ivoire. In 2013, he was awarded the Excellence prize for the best national producer in irrigated rice production and in 2015, he was awarded the second Knight of the Order of Agricultural Merit medal at the "Salon de l'Agriculture et des Ressources Animales" (SARA).