Swiss Partners
Les Amis d’Elembo
https://adelembo.ch/
Local Partner
ONGD Elembo DRC
https://elembo-rdc.com/
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Swiss Contribution
The association Les Amis d’Elembo supports sustainable agri-food projects in the Democratic Republic of Congo, in collaboration with local agronomists. They tackle the issue of post-harvest fruit losses, promote organic farming, raise awareness of local and sustainable consumption and encourage job creation. Swiss Partner Cogiterre will be involved in technical studies and the transfer of technology and knowledge.
Description
The Elembo project is setting up a juice production line to add value to oranges, mangoes and pineapples, which are often abandoned at harvest time. This will provide a natural, organic alternative to the sugary soft drinks that are widely consumed in the DRC. The association will assist producers in their efforts to form cooperatives in order to optimise the purchase of fruit in a sustainable and fair manner. An awareness campaign is also planned.
Results
As things stand, the processing and storage building is complete and ready. The machinery for processing the fruit, pasteurising the juice and sterilising the bottles has been received and installed. Two people have followed distance learning courses on juice production and the various pasteurisation methods, and five people have been trained on site following the installation of the machines. A first conclusive test of juice production and pasteurisation using 150 kg of pineapples was carried out in February 2025.