The Democratic Republic of Congo is moving to better structure its cocoa exports, with an emphasis on certification standards. Trade Minister Julien Paluku Kahongya said on April 20, 2026, after a meeting with cocoa and coffee exporters, that the country had secured U.S. support to train Congolese experts in certification.

He said the DRC “must no longer depend on external intermediaries that perpetuate the status quo and enable fraud,” without providing further details on the shift.

The move comes as compliance requirements tighten in international markets, particularly in the European Union. EU rules on deforestation-linked products now require exporters to demonstrate traceability and compliance with environmental standards.

Authorities say building local certification expertise is intended to secure access to export markets and strengthen the credibility of Congolese cocoa.

Structural challenges in the sector

This reorganization comes as the sector continues to face structural constraints, particularly in Ituri province.

Data released in October 2023 by the provincial director of the National Office for Agricultural Products of the Congo (ONAPAC) estimate coffee and cocoa production at 10,000 to 15,000 metric tons per season. Officially recorded volumes are far lower, at around 900 metric tons of coffee and nearly 1,000 metric tons of cocoa, according to the same sources cited by the Congolese Press Agency.

This gap is driven by several factors, including insecurity in some production areas, which disrupts farming activity, and limited local processing capacity. Part of Ituri’s cocoa is transported to North Kivu for processing before export.

Boaz Kabeya