In the Tshopo province of the Democratic Republic of Congo, an innovative initiative called the Savannah and Degraded Forest Development Program (PSFD) is working to address a dual challenge: conserving ecosystems while boosting the local economy. At the head of this project, Willy Makiadi Mbunzu, national coordinator of the PSFD, is injecting new momentum by focusing on productive alliances. By bringing together farmers’ organizations and agricultural entrepreneurs, these alliances are reinventing the relationships of cooperation and dependency between these key players in rural development.
Productive alliances (PA) are an innovative mechanism where farmers grouped into cooperatives benefit from technical and financial support for their production activities, while entrepreneurs undertake to ensure the processing and marketing of products from these farms. An atypical model, financed to the tune of $15 million by the French Development Agency (AFD), requiring financial participation from beneficiaries to strengthen their commitment and autonomy.
In the space of two and a half years, 3,500 hectares of degraded land have been restored through the adoption of agroforestry and agroecological practices. The testimonies of beneficiaries, such as Élysée Angbongi, a 38-year-old farmer, highlight the transformation brought about by the PSFD. From subsistence farming, we are witnessing the emergence of a structured organization improving farm yields. Through the promotion of OHADA standards and the transformation of fields into cooperatives, the program aims to guarantee long-term economic profitability while preserving the environment.
In the province of Tshopo, 26 productive alliances have already emerged, and similar projects are developing in Kwilu. These initiatives integrate food crops such as corn with perennial crops (cocoa, coffee, oil palm) to ensure regular income for producers while preserving soil fertility. For example, corn helps to guarantee income for farmers while waiting for cocoa plantations to reach maturity.
Beyond the technical aspect, productive alliances encourage sustainable management of forest resources, which is essential to counter deforestation that threatens biodiversity in the region. The objective is to discourage shifting agricultural practices that impoverish soils and degrade forests, by promoting a transition to more sustainable agricultural models. A component of continuing training and integration of farmers into a more structured economic system accompanies this transition to more responsible agriculture..
At the same time, the PSFD is working to strengthen local institutional capacities and promote appropriate financing mechanisms, such as agricultural credits, which are still underdeveloped in the DRC. The positive impacts of the program, both economically and environmentally, are already encouraging consideration of extending it to other regions of the country.
This model of productive alliances in the Democratic Republic of Congo paves the way for a successful combination of environmental conservation and local economic development, while meeting the urgent needs of rural communities. An innovative and pragmatic approach which, if it becomes widespread, could inspire other Central African countries to adopt sustainable agricultural practices and promote a prosperous and environmentally friendly rural economy.