The Golden Mamas of Kinshasa
In Kinshasa, a single industrial bakery - Pain d'Or - produces over 1 million baguettes daily at just $0.12 each. This affordable bread is distributed by 16,000+ "Golden Mamas" - women micro-entrepreneurs who ensure every neighbourhood has access to fresh bread.
This proven model demonstrates how industrial-scale production combined with decentralised distribution can solve urban food security challenges whilst creating thousands of jobs.
The Import Dependency Challenge
DRC and Republic of Congo import 90%+ of their wheat needs, spending hundreds of millions annually. In 2022, DRC's wheat imports alone cost $117 million - money that could stay in-country through local processing.
By establishing industrial bakery hubs that can process imported grain efficiently or utilise local cassava flour blends, we can reduce costs, ensure stable supply, and buffer against global price shocks.
