Initiatives for sustainable management   

To address the overexploitation and inefficient production and use of charcoal and ecosystem disruption in the Yangambi landscape, the Center for International Forestry Research and World Agroforestry (CIFOR-ICRAF) has been testing several charcoal-making and user options since 2020 to help reduce human pressure on forests and improve the livelihoods of local communities.  

The introduction of improved carbonization techniques has been particularly significant for reducing pressure on forest resources while increasing charcoal production. Such techniques make it possible to increase carbonization yields while reducing the loss of woody biomass. For example, the use of fixed ovens for carbonisation of wood residues near a sawmill has increased carbonisation yields to 28%, compared with just 11% using traditional methods, whilst training producers to use dry wood doubled yields for traditional earthen stoves to 22-24%.  

   Improved cookstoves. Photo by Axel Fassio/CIFOR-ICRAF

In areas where charcoal is produced, CIFOR-ICRAF is also helping producer households to set up agroforestry woodlots with fast-growing tree species, alongside local fruit and caterpillar-bearing trees. This approach not only provides a renewable wood source for charcoal but also diversifies income and resources for households, contributing to both environmental sustainability and economic resilience. 

Around 900 hectares of plantations (750 hectares of acacias and 150 hectares of native trees) have so far been established across the landscape to reduce pressure on primary forests whilst diversifying income sources for energy wood producers. 

   Building a charcoal production unit using improved carbonization techniques in Yangambi, DRC. Photo by Axel Fassio/CIFOR-ICRAF

   Sales point for improved stoves in Kisangani, DRC. Photo by Axel Fassio/CIFOR-ICRAF

On the downstream end of the value chain, CIFOR-ICRAF is also working to encourage the adoption of improved cookstoves by households using charcoal in Kisangani. These more efficient stoves reduce wood consumption while improving cooking conditions for families. Thanks to progressive and innovative local micro-enterprises, more than 30,000 improved stoves were produced between 2022 and 2023.  

In the medium and long term, CIFOR-ICRAF aims to extend these successes by increasing the number of people and villages with areas dedicated to agroforestry plantations, as well as increasing the number of SMEs producing more improved stoves and promoting efficient wood biomass processing practices. These efforts do not only help to alleviate pressure on forests, but also stimulate the local economy by creating jobs and promoting the development of sustainable businesses.  

Overall, the application of a landscape approach to wood energy value chains in the Tshopo province offers a promising model for partially reconciling economic development and environmental conservation. By committing to the sustainable management of remaining forest resources, farmers can improve their energy security, but also preserve their natural heritage for future generations. The lessons learned in  Yangambi may also inspire other regions facing similar challenges, providing a model for the responsible use of forest resources across the African continent and beyond.  

About sustainable woodfuel management in Yangambi: This project was part of CIFOR’s activities under the Governance of Multifunctional Landscapes in Sub-Saharan Africa (GML) project, funded by the European Union (EU). The project involved working in collaboration with the Formation, Recherche, Environnement dans la Tshopo (FORETS) and Nouveaux Paysages du Congo (NPC) projects, in the Yangambi Landscape to sustainably manage woodfuel (charcoal) production and contribute effectively to forest protection and improving people’s living conditions. 

For more information about the project in Yangambi, see: https://www.cifor-icraf.org/knowledge/publication/8796/ 

About the Yangambi Engagement Landscape: Since 2007, CIFOR-ICRAF has been working in the Yangambi Engagement Landscape (YEL) to advance forestry and agroecological research, local development and conservation. Our aim is to support entrepreneurship, innovation, research and natural resource management to transform the YEL into a place where forests contribute to the sustainable well-being of local communities.