DRC: Agroforestry changing the lives of local communities
In the CBNRM (Community Based Natural Resources Management) area of Mwenda, located on the slope of Mount Ruwenzori in the northern Virunga Landscape, east of the DRC, communities possess some form of property rights over the resources. These resources are used for the community good by applying various traditional or modern sustainable management systems. This area has an exceptional agricultural value because of its rich forest and a steady rainfall regime throughout the year. Various food crops (rice, cassava, beans) and commercial crops (cocoa, oil palm, banana, papaya, vanilla, etc.); are cultivated by the population which 90% lives of agriculture.
With support from CAFEC / USAID program, WWF DRC trained local farmers in developing new farming techniques by combining trees with food crops. This new practice has allowed them to increase crop production and increase their income.
Families who previously had great difficulty in obtaining food products now have a much healthier diet and have the financial resources to pay for medical care, school fees and other essential goods and services. In addition, they now manage their land more sustainably.
Mr. DATSHU SIRIWAYO a resident of Mwenda testifies: "This is a proof that agroforestry increases the yield of agricultural production; in my field I had always planted trees without the combination of food crops and I planted crop fields without trees. The yield was low. For a year, after an apprenticeship in agro-forestry methods, I now associate crops with trees. I have just produced more than 200kg of tomatoes and more than 1000kg of onions. This additional income allows me to meet the needs of my family: school fees, medical care, etc; the soil has become more fertile and the yield of my crops have increased. »
