The Kifita Farm Project: Agribusiness Strategies in the Democratic Republic of Congo

Bulaya, Brian

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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/98530 Copy

Description

Title

The Kifita Farm Project: Agribusiness Strategies in the Democratic Republic of Congo

Author(s)

Bulaya, Brian

Contributor(s)

Miraftab, Faranak

Issue Date

2017

Keyword(s)

• agribusiness
• food hub model

Geographic Coverage

Democratic Republic of Congo

Abstract

This study was executed on behalf of Kifita International LLC, a not-for-profit organization turned agribusiness in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), to explore potential agribusiness strategies for the Kifita Farm in the southern Katanga region of the country. Despite its' immense agricultural wealth, the DRC has been labeled a low-income food deficit country (LIFDC) for many decades, where the country has little to no money to import nutritionally beneficial food let alone produce it for its people. Armed conflict, ongoing insecurity, and population displacement are the primary drivers of food insecurity in DRC. With a majority of the employed population engaged in agriculture and only a fraction of the country's arable land under cultivation, the DRC has a huge untapped potential to increase food production within the country. Agribusiness holds the key to unlocking this potential and quelling food security issues. Using the Kifita Farm as a future implementation site, this study explores four potential agribusiness strategies - organic agriculture and livestock production; organic fertilizer, pesticide, or animal feed production; supply chain improvement; and agricultural research and development. The analysis shows that a food hub model (supply chain improvement) has the greatest potential to address food security in the Katanga province and maximize profits for all stakeholders. It is recommended that Kifita International LLC invest into a regional food hub that leverages the output of existing land users to transport produce to market before venturing into alternative agribusiness strategies.

Series/Report Name or Number

MUP Capstone

Type of Resource

text

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http://hdl.handle.net/2142/98530

Sponsor(s)/Grant Number(s)

Kifita International LLC

Owning Collections