Republic of Congo: Small-scale Congolese Producers Leading the Agroecological Movement
In the locality of Boko, situated in the Pool department in the southeast of the Republic of Congo, the 3rd edition of “Peasants’ Week” was held. This event, organized by the National Consultation of Peasant and Agricultural Producers Organizations (CNOP) of Congo, provided an opportunity to enjoy local products at an agroecological fair, as well as to participate in training sessions and thematic discussions. Representatives from peasant organizations in Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Gabon, and local producers from Loumo, Kinkala, Brazzaville, Igné, Ngabé, and other localities from the twelve departments of the Republic of Congo participated.
Why Peasant Agroecology?
Peasant agroecology is not just a method of agricultural production but a way of life rooted in the preservation of local seeds and territories, as well as the promotion of quality food accessible to everyone. Small producers, who are the custodians of the traditional seeds, gathered to raise awareness about a major challenge: climate change. In response to the spread of genetically modified crops, producers recognize the urgency of returning to ancestral methods and crops that are better suited to current climatic conditions.
This approach involves preserving and storing our seeds in our traditional granaries in anticipation of future agricultural campaigns,” states Hortense Dolorès Kinkodila Tombo, representative of La Via Campesina women in Central and West Africa and ex-member of the International Coordination Committee (ICC) of La Via Campesina. She emphasizes the importance of these actions in strengthening the resilience of small producers in the face of climatic, economic, and social uncertainties.
Training sessions have also been organized on the production techniques of bio-fertilizers and pesticides using plants already present in their environment, such as nettles, basil, and banana leaves. These sessions explored the possibility of practicing intercropping, meaning varying crops from one season to the next so that each crop benefits from the residues left by the previous one.
This knowledge is applied, for instance, in the Boko area, a major fruit production hub supplying the capital, Brazzaville. However, this region faces a problem: a fly lays its eggs during the flowering of fruit trees like mangoes. Once the fruits develop, the larvae colonize them and completely destroy the fruit flesh. To address this, an agroecological fumigation method has been demonstrated to repel these flies during the flowering of the trees.
Dorgelait Marvel MouKala, the new ICC representative for youth in Central and West Africa, explains: “ We use dead leaves, citronella, and a local leaf called ‘yélé-guégué.’ It is said that this leaf is also toxic to humans, so it’s important to keep a safe distance when the fire is lit. The smoke should be generated at 5 a.m., when the air is dense, to prevent it from rising too high. This method effectively repels the flies.”
CNOP Congo, alongside small producers, is working to promote peasant agroecology through three main spaces : the “Youth Entrepreneurs Forum,” fairs for the exhibition and sale of local products, and the annual “Peasants’ Week.” This event serves as a crucial moment to raise awareness among small producers about topics such as agroecology, climate change, and peasant seeds.
Throughout the year, visits are also organized to the territories of producers engaged in agroecological practices to encourage them to share their experiences with those who wish to adopt and implement this method. These initiatives aim to spread agroecological practices across all agricultural territories of Congo, enabling communities to produce enough to feed their populations with healthy and nutritious food.
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