Agroforestry — a farming system based on trees and their non-timber products — plays a key role in building a lasting relationship with local communities, whose involvement is essential to securing the future of the new forests. Close to the reforestation sites in Ingung Kapia, we have established an agroforestry coffee plantation where coffee plants are grown among the trees. We began developing this plot in 2023, marking an important step towards integrating sustainable agriculture with ecological restoration. Each hectare accommodates 625 shade-grown coffee plants, complemented by native reforestation species planted at 600 plants per hectare. This combined system mirrors the natural forest structure, protects the soil, and provides local communities with a diverse and sustainable source of income. Each hectare also creates employment opportunities for one local family, and in the long term, the harvested coffee can be sold at a fair price. The full plot spans 11 hectares, and our goal is to get it fully funded. By achieving this, we create a new sustainable economy in which people and nature can live in harmony, with greater self-reliance. The economic value of these non-timber products — in this case, coffee — is also a powerful incentive for farmers to move away from the most common agricultural practice across Congo: cutting and burning forests and vegetation to create open pastureland. While widespread, this slash-and-burn approach leads to severe soil erosion and the permanent loss of native vegetation. Agroforestry offers a viable and regenerative alternative.

In Ingung Kapia, in the Democratic Republic of Congo, we plant native tree species on degraded soils to restore biodiversity and create meaningful employment for local communities through manual planting work. Our reforestation program has taken on the challenge of restoring the natural environment and preventing further desertification of the region. Looking ahead, our long-term vision includes well-considered forest management, designed to relieve pressure on DR Congo's precious old-growth jungle. Our planting target is 1,000 trees per hectare at survival, achieved by initially planting 1,250 trees per hectare to account for natural loss. The species mix is intentionally diverse, combining native forest trees to support soil recovery and ecological resilience. The full list of species planted includes: Millettia laurentii (Wenge) Cassia siamea & Cassia floribunda Pentaclethra macrophylla (Owes) Piptodeniastrum africanum (Osing) Hevea brasiliensis Uapaca mole (Ontang) Canarium schweinfurtii (Mbidi) Prioria balsamifera (Mwana Mpembe) Ricinodendron heudelotii (Ongiel) Erythrophleum gabonensis (Onkok) Guibourtia demeusei (Ladzum) Paramacrolobium coelucum (Obwar Osur) Prioria oxyphylla (Tshitola) Pterocarpus soyauxii (Padouk) Ceiba pentandra (Obel) Milicia excelsa (Mulundu) Leplaea cedrata Pachira aquatica (Nguba Mindele) Staudtia kamerunensis Ongokea gore (Ndeke) Acacia auriculiformis Acacia mangium Maesopsis eminii Gilbertiodendron dewevrei (Labong) Dacryodes normandii Celtis tessmannii Pycnanthus angolensis Nauclea diderrichii Pericopsis elata (Afromosia) Millettia drastica Coffea arabica & Coffea robusta Autranella congolensis Entandrophragma gabonense (Tiama Blanc) Khaya grandifoliola Treculia africana Combretum welwitschii Afzelia bipindensis Millettia versicolor (Ablo) Olong Obol Mbem Dileka Nkokoking The full reforestation plot spans 38 hectares. We are working hard to secure the funding needed to complete this plot and continue our commitment to large-scale forest restoration across the region.