The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Africa's fifth-largest palm oil producer with an annual output of approximately 300,000 metric tons, has officially been granted observer status by the Council of Palm Oil Producing Countries (CPOPC), rather than full membership as initially suggested. This development was announced on February 21, 2025, by Minister Delegate Bestine Kazadi at a Council of Ministers meeting.

Established in 2015 by Indonesia and Malaysia, the world's largest palm oil producers, CPOPC is an intergovernmental organization dedicated to cooperation among producer nations. Its primary objectives include promoting sustainable development in the sector, defending producers' interests against international regulations, and enhancing palm oil’s reputation worldwide.

Last November, the CPOPC discussed DRC's application in Jakarta, Indonesia. At the time, the Congolese government reaffirmed its commitment to becoming a major and sustainable palm oil producer. However, industrial palm oil producers in the DRC seek state intervention to protect the sector from imported palm oils.

DRC’s domestic production currently struggles to meet local demand, which is estimated to exceed 500,000 tonnes annually. To address this gap, a project is underway to establish 145,000 hectares of palm groves as part of the second phase of the 145 Territories Local Development Program (PDL 145T). This initiative is primarily aimed at boosting biodiesel production from palm oil.

This article was initially published in French by Ronsard Luabeya (intern)

Edited in English by Ola Schad Akinocho