Improve the incomes of market gardeners and processors in Brazzaville through the development of sustainable agricultural and agro-food sectors and the strengthening of 2 Congolese associations.
Places of intervention
Around Brazzaville, vegetable production concerns a large number of families whose livelihood depends on this activity, while employment prospects in the capital are poor. The market gardening sector brings together more than 5,000 producers today and plays a major role in supplying the capital with fresh vegetables and in economic development.
However, market gardeners in Brazzaville’s green belt face many problems: access to inputs and means of irrigation, land tenure insecurity, dependence on expensive chemical inputs, lack of agricultural advice, insufficient profitability, etc.
The market gardening population is very vulnerable economically. Moreover, the artisanal food-processing sector which valorises local agricultural products (fruit, cereals, etc.) is poorly developed. Finally, Congolese civil society needs to strengthen its skills, as it lacks human and financial resources which do not enable it to respond effectively to these problems.
The challenge is therefore to strengthen the skills of producers and processors through practices that are more productive, more remunerative and more respectful of the environment, and to facilitate the structuring of market gardening sectors. The project also aims to strengthen the skills of Congolese associations.
Our engagements
Contribute to improving the living conditions of vulnerable populations around Brazzaville, particularly women.
Contribute to the strengthening of civil society in the agricultural sector and facilitate their networking.
Contribute to the efforts of the Congolese State to develop agricultural sectors.
The project in action
- Animation of theoretical and practical training courses for market gardeners, with experimentation in technical and organisational innovations (Participatory Agricultural Training)
- Organise exchanges of experience between groups of market gardeners from different areas and between market gardeners leaders
- Support the creation and development of Income-Generating Activities (production of inputs etc…)
- Support / experiment the collection and commercialisation of agroecological vegetables
- Organise theoretical and practical training courses for Food Processing Units
- Accompany the transformers in the creation and/or development of their microenterprise
- Organise technical and methodological training for local partners
- Raise consumer awareness on local consumption and sustainable food
The nugget !
Strengthen and promote the food-processing sector of the Amilcar Cabral Agricultural Vocational Training College! This vocational college, the Amilcar Cabral Training College has a specialisation in food processing. In order to make it more dynamic and to integrate more students, the first actions have been carried out with the rehabilitation of 2 of its laboratories, thus improving the practice for the students. The Ministry of Technical Education and Qualifying Training and Employment has requested support to strengthen the skills of the high school, teaching staff, while also wishing to develop an opening towards active transformers and to offer "à la carte" training courses for producers wishing to strengthen or develop their activity.
Céline is married and the mother of 5 children.
She grew up in the agricultural sector and turned to the land profession after failing her baccalaureate. She currently earns between 1,000 FCFA (€1.50) and 5,000 (€7.60) FCFA per day.
Céline has assiduously participated in all the activities proposed by the project; training, participative experiments, exchange visits, etc.
She was won over by the Participatory Agricultural Training methodology proposed by ESSOR because it places the market gardener at the heart of the project by promoting her know-how.
The project also enabled her to acquire theoretical and practical knowledge in agroecology. She now only uses biopesticides and biofertilisers that she has produced herself, which enables her to preserve her family's health and increase yields, while offering quality vegetables!
Céline would now like to be supported in promoting her products to consumers through the setting up of agroecological product sales areas and awareness-raising activities.
Céline
Agricultural producer
Brazzaville
