Tetra Tech increases income and productivity of coffee, bean, and soybean farmers in the South Kivu province, linking them to inclusive markets and supportive services.
Years of conflict in the Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) have disrupted commercial networks and infrastructure. A generation of humanitarian relief has contributed to long-term market distortions and aid dependency, discouraging private investment and lending, and limiting options for broad-based economic growth. Farmers have proven themselves highly resilient and adaptable, but trust, hope, self-confidence, and tools needed to define their development priorities and chart a way forward are in short supply.
Benefits
- More than 17,000 people trained in agricultural and post-harvest handling practices
- More than 14,000 farmers using climate-smart agricultural practices
- More than 3,300 hectares cultivated under improved management practices
- $3.675 million in sales generated from target crop value chains
- More than $10.3 million in loans disbursed to SVC’s partners
- 98 percent of SVC partners’ coffee samples met the Specialty Coffee Association’s benchmark
Through the Feed the Future DRC Strengthening Value Chains (SVC) Activity, Tetra Tech is supporting the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) in reaching tens of thousands of farmers to promote climate-smart agronomic practices that enhance productivity. We build institutional capacity across the market system with government, civil society, private enterprises and associations, and financial institutions to enhance the quality, volume, and marketability of coffee and nutritious foods.
SVC’s training enlightened us to the notion of value chains. We learned how to organize ourselves as a business-oriented producer organization (PO) and to achieve self-sufficiency through agriculture.
Josiane Nabahogwere, president of PO Rhuheke Kuguma
The goal of the SVC Activity is to increase income from and access to nutrient-rich crops by linking farmers to inclusive value chains and supportive market services. Through the SVC Activity, Tetra Tech is:
- Applying nutrition-sensitive market systems approaches to value chains for coffee and biofortified dry beans and soybeans
- Functioning as a technical service provider to private enterprises, delivering training and mentoring to associations, cooperatives, and apex platforms
- Increasing productivity and improving organization and strategy, professional and financial management, and governance in Idjwi, Kabare, Kalehe, and Walungu
- Helping farmers adopt improved production and post-harvest practices
- Strengthening producer linkages to suppliers, buyers, and financial institutions, which lead to higher volumes, better quality, and increased sales
- Empowering associations and cooperatives to advocate for a better business enabling environment, improve members’ access to inputs, and diversify market opportunities
- Integrating gender, youth, and social inclusion to strengthen organizational commitment, capacity, and accountability to promote the needs and voices of women and youth
- Using the Gender Action Learning System to empower individuals with tools to navigate pathways to their social and economic goals
The SVC Activity complements other USAID activities, bridging the gap between dependence and self-reliance, strengthening the foundation for durable peace, empowering the socially excluded, and building community resilience.
