Promoting lasting resolutions to land conflicts in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Channel: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Date: 2023-09-21

https://www.fao.org/in-action/kore/ 

The Democratic Republic of Congo is the largest country in Sub-Saharan Africa. But accessing arable land is a persistent challenge for many farmers. A complex land tenure system means that many fields have private owners who leave their land uncultivated. Meanwhile, instability caused by armed groups in the eastern provinces of North and South Kivu has led to forced displacements and over-populated cities, making arable land an even scarcer commodity for agriculture-dependent households.  

From 2018 to 2023, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) worked with local NGOs to facilitate negotiations between landowners (known in DRC as “concessionaires”—a holdover from the Belgian colonial period) and farmers. Part of this process included organizing farmers into collectivities called Farmers’ Groups. 

As a result of negotiations, rent prices fell. A written agreement between farmers and concessionaires was signed: the region’s first. Knowing they no longer risked being evicted on short notice, and now secure in yearly or multi-year leases, farmers began fertilizing the fields and their harvests grew. 
 
Women participated in great numbers in the signing of the rental contract, increasing their standing in the community. Farmers’ Groups also allowed local households to develop their own community-based banking system—especially benefitting women. These Village Savings and Loans Associations offer emergency funds to community members in need as well as seed money to launch income-generating projects. Farmers hold greater power when working together, thereby improving their resilience. 
 
With support from the Government of Canada, the land access negotiations were part of a five-year collaboration between FAO, WFP and IFAD – the Rome Based Agencies (RBA) – on a resilience-building project implemented in DRC, Somalia, and the Niger.  

The rental agreement was first developed in North Kivu and then replicated in South Kivu. While this project’s resilience-building activities focused on North Kivu, project sites were inaccessible due to the volatile security situation. This video, filmed in South Kivu in January and February of 2023, shows the impact of land access negotiations that used the same methodology.  

Subscribe! http://www.youtube.com/subscription_center?add_user=FAOoftheUN  

Follow FAO on social media! 
* Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/UNFAO 
* Instagram - https://instagram.com/fao
* LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/fao 
* TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@fao
* Twitter - http://www.twitter.com/fao/
* Weibo - https://www.weibo.com/unfao

© FAO: http://www.fao.org  #SDGs #Agenda2030 #GlobalGoals