• Rural Development Minister visits the pilot site where the American technology is used. 

• US-developed soil stabilization technology costs ten times less than conventional paving.

• Technology already tested in Kongo Central province.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo is testing American soil stabilization technology that could significantly reduce the cost of building the country's extensive network of agricultural roads. Rural Development Minister Grégoire Mutshail Mutomb visited a demonstration site on Avenue Bakole in Kinshasa's Lemba commune on November 13, 2025.

The Ecoroads technology, developed by US company TerraFusion International Inc., transforms soils to improve road strength, density, and durability. Promoters claim it cuts carbon emissions by up to 75%, construction costs by 50%, and maintenance expenses by 60%.

Mutshail sees the innovation as key to implementing a national agricultural road stabilization program currently under development. He believes Ecoroads could help the state build nearly 87,000 kilometers of farm roads at a fraction of traditional costs.

"Traditional methods have reached their limits. A paved road costs ten times more than a stabilized one. This technology offers a more efficient solution for our country's development," the minister said.

The Congolese company Jet BTP is deploying the technology locally under the supervision of the national laboratory of the Office des Routes, which handles quality control. The company has already applied Ecoroads in Lowa, Kasangulu territory in Kongo Central province, where over two kilometers of road have been stabilized since June 2022.

The project aligns with ambitious government road rehabilitation plans. Former Rural Development Minister Muhindo Nzangi Butondo announced in January that more than 11,000 kilometers of priority agricultural roads and 38,000 other ordinary roads would be rehabilitated annually nationwide. When the current government was formed in August, Mutshail moved from Agriculture Minister to his current rural development role.

For the DRC, where poor road infrastructure hampers agricultural development and market access, cost-effective stabilization technology could prove transformative in connecting rural areas to urban markets.

Ronsard Luabeya