VCA4D Analysis of the Coffee Value Chain in Idjwi Island, South Kivu, Democratic Republic of Congo

Abstract

Coffee is an important livelihood and commercial crop on Idjwi Island, yet the value chain remains weakly structured and producers have limited access to finance, technical support, processing, certification and higher-value markets. This study applied the Value Chain Analysis for Development (VCA4D) framework to assess the functional, economic, social and environmental dimensions of the Idjwi coffee value chain. A mixed-methods design covered 340 respondents, comprising 300 producers, 20 processors, 10 traders and 10 cooperative or institutional actors. Among producers, the mean coffee plot size was 1.50 ha, mean annual production was 1,491 kg, mean revenue was USD 1,207 and mean net profit was USD 902. Only 31% of producers had access to credit, 50% had received training and 60% reported dissatisfaction with coffee income. Fertiliser use was not significantly associated with production in the ANOVA (F = 0.61, p = 0.436), whereas training had the largest positive regression coefficient for net profit (+USD 29.48). Mean net profit was slightly higher in Idjwi-North (USD 925.05) than in Idjwi-South (USD 881.00). Qualitative findings indicated continued dependence on local collectors, limited processing and quality-control capacity, and uneven cooperative support. Social and environmental findings highlighted household livelihoods, gender and youth participation, agroforestry, soil conservation and water management. Overall, improved training, cooperative governance, finance, processing, quality management and direct market linkages are central upgrading priorities.