The Great Lakes Integrated Agriculture Development Project for Africa (PICAGL) is a regional project involving the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Burundi. With a total amount of 150 million dollars for the DRC, the project seeks to create inclusive economic opportunities at the individual and community levels, and to re-link currently inaccessible areas to larger infrastructure and agricultural investments through physical infrastructure and access to digital credit in South Kivu and Tanganyika provinces.
Within DRC, South Kivu and Tanganyika are volatile areas, presenting implementation challenges but also underscoring the need to achieve tangible results for local communities. Completion of administrative and safeguard procedures alongside security constraints and the COVID-19 pandemic have hampered the implementation of project activities, in particular infrastructure.
Nevertheless, over the past two years of its implementation, the PICAGL has disbursed around $37 million and supported 74,000 households with improved access to cassava planting material in South Kivu and Tanganyika provinces, with strong involvement of women and youth in these activities. The Project also delivered 584 trainings on rice intensification and soil fertility management systems for over 14,000 farmers, 49% of whom are women; and trained more than 9,000 households in livestock health and protection, of which 28% of the participants are women and 90% are youth.
The World Bank remains committed to supporting a holistic, integrated, and inclusive approach to strengthening infrastructure and building the significant agricultural potential of South Kivu and Tanganyika. The World Bank will continue to engage local and national authorities as well as the local community to achieve these goals. The World Bank upholds very high anti-corruption standards and stringent guidelines for procurement and financial management and has mechanisms in place to ensure that project funds go to the appropriate and planned activities.
