TRIDE
The Transition for Inclusive Development in Eastern DRC (TRIDE) is a programme financed by the Embassy of the Netherlands in Kigali through its Great Lakes programme. The programme aims to alleviate insecurity and instability by promoting economic development and access to markets and land in Eastern DRC, in the provinces of North and South Kivu where more than 70% of the population depends on agriculture for their livelihoods.
In this area smallholding farmers face insufficient access to irrigated land, poor farming practices, lack of access to modern inputs (improved seeds, fertilisers, pesticides), soil erosion and watershed degradation, scarce information on markets and prices, lack of agro-processing facilities, and land conflicts. These conditions contribute to higher production, processing and marketing costs, as well as large post-harvest losses, causing food deficits, rural unemployment especially among youth and widespread poverty.
The programme is implemented by a consortium led by ZOA with VNG-International and Agriterra as partners and it has three main outcomes:
(1) increase access to land by smallholders,
(2) improve water management and agricultural practices, and
(3) boost agricultural value chains and market systems.
Agriterra's intervention focuses on outcome 3 by:
(a) improving the governance and management of cooperatives and other farmer organisations,
(b) supporting cooperatives to access financial markets,
(c) promoting investments in processing facilities,
(d) linking farmers and cooperatives to markets, and
(e) improving the enabling environment for smallholder farmers and cooperatives and promote farmers' advocacy.
