PREFOREST CONGO - Project to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from forests in five departments in the Republic of Congo

Despite having historically low deforestation rates, the Republic of Congo's vast areas of forests are now under increasing threat. A major cause is slash-and-burn farming to expand agriculture and meet the energy needs of a growing population.

This project is focused in the south where most communities practise subsistence farming and more than 80 percent depend on fuelwood as their main source of energy. The project consists of three integrated components focusing on the poorest communities in the target area. These comprise securing land access for small farmers; establishing fuelwood plantations and productive agroforestry systems; and improving market access for farmer groups while strengthening financing for agroforestry value chains.