Congo Basin

 Congo Basin

In Central Africa, ASB research efforts focus on slash-and-burn

Local marketplace: Kaya watershed, Cameroon

agriculture in the 6 countries of the Congo Basin (Cameroon, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and the Republic of Congo) whose borders encompass the world's second largest contiguous rainforest. Unlike in Southeast Asia and the Amazon, where large-scale  agricultural operations are important, most deforestation in the Congo Basin is attributed to smallholder farmers using extensive slash-and-burn techniques.

Collaborative research with farmers conducted by members of ASB's National Consortium in Cameroon  identifies and develops policy, institutional, and technological land-use options that can improve rural livelihoods while preserving the country's remaining forests.

Land uses identified in the ASB Matrix analysis for Cameroon are the focus of the Sustainable Tree Crops Programme in West and Central Africa.