Abstract

The present study aimed to explore smallholder household living standards relevant to slash-and-burn agriculture and determine the trend of key crops grown concerning their production and related generated average gross income in the region of Faradje, in the far northeastern region of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Surveys were conducted on agronomic and social-economic characteristics prevailing in the area in five localities, involving 50 farming households based on a questionnaire designed. Questions asked were about yield and gross income, considered as dependent variables as well as household size, farmland area, farming systems, crop types, the distance between farms and home, farm task allocation, duration of fallowing, types of off-farm activities, and the number of reared animals taken as independent variables. Graphs were plotted using R statistic package (Version 3.6.1, 2019-07-05), and correlation analysis was conducted using Genstat 12th edition. The results showed that each household produced 793.71 kg of paddy rice yearly, 194.96 kg of maize grain, 175 kg of cassava chips, 70.50 kg of groundnut seeds, and 8.60 kg of beans on an average of 0.81 ha of cropland in two cropping seasons. The results also showed that one household's total annual average income was US $ 940.60, with an individual average income of US $188.90. This was slightly higher than the national average real gross domestic product (GDP) in 2008, estimated at US $171; however, the figure was still unfortunately below the minimum of US $1 per day (0.52 US $/day) suggesting that slash–and–burn agriculture cropping system is far to achieve food security and accordingly improvement of the economic situation in Faradje DRC. The household size and the number of agricultural workers/households were weakly correlated with the average gross income (respectively, r = 0.29 and r = 0.35). In contrast, cropland surface area was moderately associated with the average gross income (r = 0.74). This demonstrates the importance of cropland surface in this cropping system in Faradje, suggesting that increasing farmers' gross average income through a slash-and-burn cropping system requires cropland expansion. Consequently, much should be undertaken to mitigate the adverse effects of the established cropping system over the overall environment.