The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), in collaboration with the Government of the Democratic Republic of Congo through the Ministry of Entrepreneurship and Small and Medium Enterprises, organized a National dialogue on public policies on entrepreneurship and competitiveness in the private agricultural and agri-food sector.

Under the theme:
“What models and intervention strategies can be used to promote entrepreneurship and consolidate a competitive and sustainable private agricultural and agri-food sector in the Democratic Republic of Congo?”, this meeting brought together a wide range of institutional, technical, and operational stakeholders.

A framework for exchange and co-construction

The event provided a space for discussion, sharing experiences, and reflection on modèles d’entrepreneuriat agricole, des avantages et des faiblesses de l’écosystème entrepreneuriat and public policy reforms currently underway or planned in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The discussions aimed to identify ways to build a A competitive, sustainable private agricultural sector capable of contributing effectively to food and nutritional security and wealth creation in the DRC..

The work took place in plenary and parallel sessions, each producing a summary of the issues, existing solutions, and concrete recommendations. These results were then presented in a plenary session.

Focus of the plenary sessions

  • Plenary Session 1: Analysis of public policies, regulatory frameworks, and initiatives by technical and financial partners in support of agricultural entrepreneurship.
  • Plenary Session 2: Testimonials and experiences from those working in the field, including the constraints encountered, the solutions developed, and their views on public policies and existing support.

Among the topics covered:

  • The foundations of the national strategy for promoting entrepreneurship;
  • The institutional framework and distribution of responsibilities;
  • The existence or absence of a single coordinating body for entrepreneurship;
  • The role of public authorities and the resources mobilized;
  • Policies implemented in the agricultural sector;
  • Public and private financing instruments and mechanisms for connecting farmers and livestock breeders to transactional and commercial channels
  • Les besoins des petits producteurs et entrepreneurs pour améliorer leurs performances.

Committed actors

Dialogue national sur l'entrepeneuriat-AVENIR

The following individuals participated in this dialogue:

  • IFAD Country Director in the DRC;
  • The National Ministry of Entrepreneurship and Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises;
  • The Secretaries General at the Ministry of Entrepreneurship and Small and Medium-sized Enterprises and the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security;
  • Development project coordinators, particularly the AVENIR Project, committed to promoting rural agricultural entrepreneurship;
  • Technical, financial, and non-financial services involved in promoting agricultural and agri-food entrepreneurship, and
  • A sample of entrepreneurs working in the agricultural and agri-food sector.

Speaking on the first day, the National Coordinator of the AVENIR Project emphasized that during this dialogue, which brought together several stakeholders involved in promoting agricultural entrepreneurship, discussions focused on producing a guidance document to better regulate the sector.

" This document will now serve as a guide for all sectors and policies, enabling entrepreneurs already engaged in these areas to obtain all the necessary facilities to emerge and increase their income, particularly in rural areas. »
– Justinien BACIRONGO BINYOMA, National Coordinator of the AVENIR Project

Coordonnateur national - AVENIR

Results expected

At the end of this political dialogue, the main expectations were as follows:

  • A summary document summarizing the discussions and policy recommendations;
  • A national action plan proposant des mesures concrètes pour renforcer l’entrepreneuriat agricole ;
  • La signature d’une convention-cadre de partenariat between the AVENIR Project and ANADEC to support the establishment and coordination of an entrepreneurial support system;
  • A joint statement stakeholders affirming their commitment to supporting agricultural entrepreneurship in the DRC.

This dialogue marked an important step in consolidating efforts to promote agricultural entrepreneurship in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The rich and constructive exchanges pave the way for better policy coordination, greater stakeholder involvement, and the implementation of concrete tools to sustainably support the emergence of a competitive and inclusive agricultural private sector.

Hyperbole Mwanandeke

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