The Democratic Republic of Congo has not witnessed the same expansion of fair trade as neighbouring countries. This is mainly due to the violence that has thrown the country in a state of unrest.
The situation is changing. In the province of South Kivu, a coffee cooperative, SOPACDI (Solidarité Paysanne pour la Promotion des Actions Café et Développement Intégral), has been involved for many years in an economic and social development process that is based on values of solidarity and sharing. They started buying the crops of its 3000 some members to resell them at a better price and to set up collective development projects. Thanks in particular to the commercial and financial support of Oxfam-Wereldwinkels, SOPACDI has been on track for fair trade certification since 2009.
The Trade for Development Centre finances a project that aims at improving the agricultural production system of the cooperative, consolidating and developing its commercial strength.
