07.02.2025
In 2024, in partnership with CIRAD, TEREA carried out a study of the domestic timber market in the Republic of Congo.
The aim of the study, commissioned by the French Development Agency (AFD), was to update knowledge of artisanal timber harvesting and the national domestic sawnwood market, the latest data for which dated back to 2009.
In the Republic of Congo, Law n°33-2020 on the Forestry Code introduced a new logging permit, the Permis d'Exploitation Domestique (PED), in addition to the Permis Spécial (PS), to meet national demand for artisanal and semi-industrial sawnwood. Despite these innovations, obtaining these permits remains very complicated, if not inaccessible, for artisanal operators. This is a major obstacle to the formalization of a sector that is very important for job creation in the industry. This sector plays a key role in supplying Congo's local and urban markets, and despite the challenges it faces, can meet the challenges of sustainable development through its formalization and support towards professionalization.
TEREA teams deployed a survey in six departments, including the main wood consumption centers (Brazzaville, Pointe Noire, Dolésie and Ouesso) and artisanal sawyers. This project used a similar methodological approach to the 2009 study, enabling a diachronic analysis of the sector.
For further information, we recommend reading the report, entitled “Bilan de quinze ans d'exploitation artisanale du bois d'oeuvre en République du Congo”, available here.
