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Decades after transforming the global palm oil industry, Yangambi is rebuilding its production capacity with a focus on forest protection. In the 1930s and 1940s, the Yangambi research station was home to one of the world’s most influential oil palm breeding programmes. Scientists at the National Institute for Agronomic Study of the Belgian Congo (INEAC) famously unlocked the genetics of the 'tenera' hybrid. By crossing the thick-shelled 'dura' with the shell-less 'pisifera', they proved that shell thickness was controlled by a single gene, leading to a variety that produced significantly more oil.
This breakthrough had massive implications. The genetic material selected in Congo became a cornerstone for the palm oil industries in Malaysia and Indonesia, which expanded rapidly from the 1950s and now account for 80 percent of global production. However, Yangambi’s own capacity suffered from decades of underinvestment. The current National Institute for Agronomic Study and Research (INERA) manages vast plantations that have long surpassed their 25-to-30-year economic lifespan, with trees reaching heights of over 20 metres.
A new initiative, supported by the European Union and the United Kingdom, aims to reposition Yangambi as a regional hub for science and conservation. Partnering with INERA, Landscape Alliance, and the Virunga Foundation, the project seeks to revive local production and trade while creating sustainable livelihoods. In the surrounding Tshopo province, unrefined red palm oil is a staple food, currently supplied by artisanal producers or brought in from other regions. The project aims to professionalise this value chain to meet growing demand.
Maxwell Kubi, agroecology coordinator for Landscape Alliance, emphasizes that the strategy focuses on intensification rather than expansion. 'Rather than clearing forest for new plantations, we are putting old plantation areas back into production,' he explained. By replacing aging palms with high-yielding material, farmers can increase income without encroaching on the forest. Since 2025, approximately 200 hectares of INERA’s concession have been replanted, with the potential to rehabilitate a total of 1,700 hectares.
Beyond planting, the project is restoring technical expertise. Since March 2026, Ghanaian seed specialist James Asampana has been training INERA technicians in controlled pollination to produce reliable commercial seeds. This involves isolating female flowers to ensure they are only fertilized by selected male pollen. For Dieudonné Amolo, an INERA engineer, this technical revival is central to the institute's mandate to supply improved varieties to smallholders. Ultimately, the goal is to create a viable economic engine for the region, encompassing everything from cooking oil to soaps and cosmetics.
Source: Forests News, Center for International Forestry Research