DRC FFF Platform

Overview

Based in Muanda and Lukula, two localities in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), this project aims to develop an integrated food, feed, and fuel platform to strengthen agricultural value chains while contributing to deforestation mitigation and improved food security. Building on an existing agro-industrial hub in Kongo Central Province, the initiative seeks to organize and scale multi-crop agricultural production, processing, and distribution across a 10,000-hectare platform.

The project combines direct agricultural production with outgrower engagement and sustainable processing infrastructure to support food crops, animal feed, and biofuel feedstocks from waste biomass. Core facilities are already in place and operating at limited capacity, providing a foundation to pilot expanded activities following a pre-feasibility phase, with the longer-term objective of scaling a commercially viable and environmentally responsible agricultural platform. The project will engage smallholder farmers and support their production through agricultural consulting services, the provision of technical inputs (seeds, fertilizers;..), logistics support and working capital for crop pre-financing needs.

The challenge

Agriculture in the DRC is both a major driver of forest loss and a key opportunity for regeneration. In Kongo Central Province alone, more than 100,000 hectares of humid primary forest were lost between 2002 and 2024, driven by low-productivity subsistence agriculture, limited crop diversification, and weak market integration. Despite significant agricultural potential, only a fraction of arable land is productively used, and inefficiencies persist across most value chains.

In the Muanda and Lukula territories, food insecurity is largely linked to technical constraints such as limited access to quality inputs and mechanization, as well as economic barriers including poor market information and irregular supply chains. While existing infrastructure such as the Lukula Agripark has improved productivity and market access, its full potential remains underutilized due to the lack of strong private sector players and strengthened commercial structuring.

Canopy Trust’s involvement- Technical Assistannce

Canopy Trust has approved a Technical Assistance package to support a pre-feasibility phase focused on de-risking the project and preparing it for future investment. The Technical Assistance is structured around three complementary pillars:

• Baseline assessment for the 10,000 hectares -including sustainable land-use assessment- to document historical land use, assess afforestation and agroforestry opportunities, and evaluate carbon sequestration potential to ensure deforestation prevention.
• Agronomic and agroforestry assessment to validate diversified cropping systems, productivity gains, and pathways for transitioning from slash-and-burn agriculture to climate-smart practices.
• Local community and smallholder assessment to structure outgrower models, assess farmer participation capacity, and define targeted training and capacity-building needs.

This early-stage support is intended to strengthen project design, confirm commercial and environmental viability, and enable future capital mobilization.

Our Target Impact

The project should contribute to environmental protection and socio-economic development by strengthening sustainable agricultural value chains and reducing pressure on natural forests.