A score of 1.17 out of 3 and a roadmap of 48 activities for the horticultural sector and agricultural inputs.
How good is the dialogue between government and the private sector on sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) matters in the Democratic Republic of Congo? Congolese stakeholders themselves gave the answer: 1.17 out of 3, or 39.1%. That level of maturity, described as emerging and fragmented, was established at a national participatory workshop held from 29 to 31 July 2026 in Kinshasa, which brought together some 40 representatives of public authorities, the private sector, including FEC, COPEMECO, AFEECO and FEFCO, and civil society. COLEAD supported this pilot phase under the Fit For Market Plus (FFM+) programme, funded by the European Union and the OACPS.
An assessment made by the stakeholders themselves
The exercise used the methodology developed by COLEAD, drawing in particular on the R-SAT tool and the STDF guide on public-private partnerships in SPS systems. It covered the horticultural sector and agricultural inputs: pesticides, fertilisers, seeds and irrigation water.
The picture is a mixed one. The DRC has a legal and institutional framework in place, along with solid links to regional and international SPS bodies, from the WTO SPS Committee to Codex Alimentarius, the IPPC, SADC and COMESA. Day-to-day functioning, however, remains constrained: some key stakeholders take little part, particularly small-scale horticultural producers and input retailers; dialogue structures lack resources; and there is no formal monitoring and evaluation mechanism.
A public health issue as much as a competitiveness one
Horticulture matters to livelihoods in Kinshasa. The use of unregistered inputs and weaknesses in control systems therefore weigh on two fronts at once: the health of Congolese consumers, and the ability of the country's products to reach markets, local as well as regional and international.
From dialogue to action
The workshop did not stop at the diagnosis. Participants jointly developed and validated a Priority Action Plan for September 2026 to August 2027: 4 strategic objectives, 23 action matrices, 48 activities. Its centrepiece is the creation and formalisation of a Multi-Stakeholder Dialogue Framework for the Horticultural Sector and Agricultural Inputs (CDMFMI), with a permanent Executive Secretariat, public-private co-chairing and an amicable mediation mechanism.
The rest of the roadmap tackles the weaknesses identified head-on: sustainable financing and accountability mechanisms so that the arrangement lasts; the formal inclusion of cooperatives and input retailers; and transparency tools, including public consultation mechanisms and a national digital information platform on agricultural inputs. A Public-Private Monitoring Committee will oversee implementation, with a six-monthly recommendation tracking matrix and an annual activity and accountability report.
This activity is supported by the Fit For Market Plus (FFM+) programme, implemented by COLEAD within the Framework of Development Cooperation between the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) and the European Union. This publication receives financial support from the European Union and the OACPS. The content of this publication is the sole responsibility of COLEAD and can in no way be taken to reflect the views of the European Union or the OACPS.