On Thursday, November 6, 2025, at 2:00 PM, the ERAIFT conference room will host the public defense of doctoral candidate Bamenga Bopoko Lousi-Pasteur's thesis. The thesis, titled “Socio-economic Evaluation of Robusta Coffee (Coffea canephora Pierre ex A. Froehner) (Rubiaceae) in Tshopo Province, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC): Status and Potential,” analyzes perceptions among agents about their activities, assesses the impact of investments in the coffee sector and related environmental effects, and examines the governance framework of coffee production, focusing on institutional interactions, social benefits, and challenges. The study provides insights into revitalizing this sector in Tshopo Province.

ERAIFT thanks the Kingdom of Belgium for funding this research through grant B2/191/P1/CoffeBridge, and the Meise Botanical Garden for its collaboration. Finally, ERAIFT extends gratitude to its entire supervisory team.