The Democratic Republic of Congo, Africa’s second-largest country, still relies heavily on processed food imports due to its vast expanses of fertile, uncultivated land. Decades of conflict, poor infrastructure, and growing poverty have hampered local food production, forcing the government to spend $3 billion annually on food imports to feed the population.
Despite its agricultural potential, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Africa’s second largest country, continues to depend heavily on imported processed food due to its vast, uncultivated, fertile land. In the bustling marketplaces of Kinshasa, imported sardines, canned beef and other processed foods dominate the stalls, offered at affordable prices. Although traditional Congolese diets are rich in grains and vegetables, many families cannot afford these foods.
“Most of us Congolese buy these products because they are cheap. If you walk around here, you will notice that the traders who have put their products on sale are selling more than their counterparts. We don’t even care about the expiry dates. All we are interested in is getting cheap products. The rest will take care of itself.”
Joel Zelo, Businessman, Kinshasa – Democratic Republic of Congo
Weak infrastructure and ongoing conflict in the east of the country, the country’s main agricultural hub, prevent supplies from reaching the capital. With limited processing capacity, the DRC spends around $3 billion a year on imports, primarily from Europe and neighbouring countries.
“When processing food, there are rules that have to be followed which some industries do not respect. That’s the reason why processed food becomes harmful for human consumption. Some factories that seek to produce a lot exceed the standard of additives and cause public health problems.”
Alex Sulu, Crop Scientist – Democratic Republic of Congo
To reverse this trend, the government launched the ATA DRC program in 2022, aimed at strengthening agriculture by distributing improved varieties of cassava, maize, rice, and soybean seeds. However, persistent insecurity in the east and parts of the west continues to hamper progress, depriving many farmers of access to support. According to the FAO, the DRC has nearly 80 million hectares of arable land, 4 million hectares of irrigable land, but only 1% is cultivated.
