Democratic Republic of the Congo
The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is one of the largest countries in the world and one of the poorest.
Approximately 70 percent of the population lives in rural areas. 40 million people in the DRC depend on farming to earn an income.
Yet just a small fraction of the DRC’s arable land is actively cultivated. Years of conflict in eastern DRC have eroded the economy, diminished the productive and adaptive capacity of households, and discouraged private investment in economic activities. However, the growing global demand for specialty crops like coffee present a tremendous opportunity to increase Congolese farmer incomes.
See the impact
Projects
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Strengthening the Coffee Value Chain in the Congo
The SVC is providing training to 15,000 coffee farming households, over the course of five years, and delivering technical assistance to cooperatives and other market actors to bolster the specialty coffee value chain in South Kivu. The project aims to increase farmer yields by 30 percent, while supporting local processing businesses to export 50 containers…
Blog Posts
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Brewing Biodiversity: How Sustainable Coffee Improves Lives and Protects Landscapes
In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, coffee farmers are employing new regenerative agriculture practices that improve yields, increase incomes, and allow farmers to meet their families’ needs while also promoting biodiversity and conservation.
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How to Create Gender Equality in Coffee Farming
TechnoServe’s Global Gender Director Cristina Manfre recently discussed gender equality in coffee farming in a LinkedIn Live panel discussion with Nespresso.
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Meet the Farmers Behind Your Coffee: Reviving Origins in DRC
Follow coffee farmer Noella Rwizibuka and her family as they go about their day in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Resources
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RFP: Recruitment Services in DRC Amendment
Learn More: RFP: Recruitment Services in DRC Amendment