One Acre Fund is piloting a zero-deforestation agriculture model for smallholders in Kongo Central. The programme equips farmers with inputs, knowledge, services and incentives to shift from cyclical slash-and-burn cultivation in forest areas to sedentary, sustainably intensified production in savannahs and on degraded land. It builds on a CAFI-funded preparatory project implemented from 2022 to 2024, including site selection, on-farm trials and stakeholder consultations, and on One Acre Fund’s wider experience since 2006. The approach combines access to certified inputs, a farmer-entrepreneur network, agroforestry and a PES mechanism based on participatory land-use zoning and verified compliance with community conservation rules.
Zero-Deforestation Smallholder Agriculture in Kongo Central
Countries:
The Democratic Republic of the Congo
Topics:
AgriculturePayments for Environmental Services+2
Status:
Funds Transferred
Amount:
$ 2,104,534
Start Date:
10/12/2024
End Date:
30/07/2027
Implementing Organizations:
One Acre Fund
National Partners:
Ministry of Agriculture
Timeline
Objectives
The project seeks to demonstrate that smallholders can maintain or increase food production on savannah and degraded land, reducing the incentive to clear forests while strengthening rural livelihoods and food security.
- Improve access to affordable, certified agricultural inputs through local seed multipliers, central warehouses and local distribution channels.
- Recruit and train farmer-entrepreneurs to operate rural businesses that deliver agricultural services, tree seedlings and improved cassava planting material.
- Support agroforestry, soil restoration and other regenerative practices that make sedentary farming on savannah land more productive and resilient.
- Use participatory land-use zoning and PES contracts to reward verified compliance with conservation rules through vouchers and tree seedlings.
- Test CAFI's national PES tools, beneficiary registration, monitoring and mobile-payment arrangements in Kongo Central.
agroforestry demonstration target
direct PES participants targeted
%
Project document - Zero-Deforestation - OAF (Part 1)