Doctoral thesis publicly defended with a view to obtaining the degree of Doctor of Agricultural Sciences

By

Michel MBUMBA BANDI

Jury members                                     : Dear Professors

Charles KINKELA SUNDA SAVY         : President, University of Kinshasa

Jules ALONI KOMANDA                        : Secretary, University of Kinshasa

Martin BITIJULA MAHIMBA                  : Promoter, University of Kinshasa

Damase KHASA PHAMBU                     : Co-promoter, Laval University

Mylor NGOY SHUTCHA                         : Full member, University of Lubumbashi

Paul MAFUKA MBE MPIE                    : Alternate Member, University of Kinshasa

Joseph KA TANGA KABALEVI: Alternate Member, University of Kinshasa

February 2023

Summary

In the face of anthropogenic pressures on protected areas, agroforestry constitutes a promising agroecological and socioeconomic model for meeting the challenges linked to sustainable land management.
The overall objective of this doctoral thesis was to study the economic, environmental and social aspects within local agroforestry farms in the context of their contribution to the sustainable management of natural resources in the Luki Biosphere Reserve (LBR). Four specific objectives were assigned: (i) to analyze the responses of farmers living in the LBR region on the opportunities and challenges of agroforestry, (ii) to carry out the technical-economic analysis of agroforestry farms, (iii) to assess the sustainability of these farms and (iv) to analyze the determinants of the adoption of agroforestry practices.
The statistical method using probability sampling was used to collect data based on a farmer survey, supplemented by interviews, observations, and documentary techniques. The data were analyzed using EVIEWS, R, and SPSS software.
The first result shows that farmers in the LBR region have endogenous knowledge about the opportunities and constraints of agroforestry. The second reveals that net operating results are positive for all the agroforestry farms surveyed, but only four model farms were deemed economically viable. The third result indicates that the 58 farms studied scored well on the agroecological sustainability scale but very low on the socio-territorial and economic scales. Therefore, they are not managed sustainably and thus do not contribute to the sustainable management of the LBR. The fourth result reveals that six factors determine the adoption of agroforestry in Luki, namely age, marital status, level of education, main activity, land tenure, and membership in a local association.
All these results can contribute to the promotion of agroforestry as one of the key strategies for sustainable management of RBL.
Keywords: Sustainability, agroforestry, adoption, Luki Biosphere Reserve, DRC