Gabon turns to science to secure food sovereignty

Libreville, Monday 8 June 2026 – The bet may seem bold. Yet it now lies at the heart of Gabon’s economic strategy.

As the country aims to slash its reliance on food imports and halt the massive inflow of foreign broiler chickens by 2027, the battle is now unfolding far from markets and ports. It is being waged in the experimental fields of the National Centre for Scientific and Technological Research in Kougouleu.

The visit by the Minister of Higher Education, Scientific Research and government spokesperson, Charles Edgar Mombo, to this strategic site goes far beyond a routine administrative tour. It signals a new direction where scientific research becomes a direct tool for economic transformation and a lever of national sovereignty.

In a country where food imports still absorb a large share of external spending, the ability to locally produce the raw materials needed for livestock farming now appears as strategic as mining or energy extraction.

Research at the heart of the national project

The goal set by the authorities is clear: build a poultry sector capable of meeting domestic demand while gradually reducing imports.

To achieve this ambition, animal feed is central. Maize and soy are the main components of feed used in industrial poultry farming. As long as these raw materials remain largely imported, the sector’s autonomy stays fragile.

At Kougouleu, researchers from CENAREST are working precisely on this equation. Eleven varieties of maize are currently undergoing experimentation programmes designed to identify the seeds best suited to Gabon’s soil and climate conditions.

The stakes go well beyond mere agricultural performance. The aim is to select varieties that can deliver sufficient yields to sustainably supply a growing national poultry industry.

The scientific teams have also launched trials on eleven varieties of soy introduced through international cooperation with research centres in Malawi. Additional experiments are being carried out in Nyanga Province, particularly in Tchibanga, to evaluate performance across the country’s different ecosystems.

This approach reflects an important shift. Long seen as a sector far removed from immediate economic concerns, research is now becoming an operational player in development.

The ambition of an integrated sector

The government’s strategy rests on a simple logic: produce locally the essential inputs for livestock farming in order to reduce production costs and boost the competitiveness of Gabonese producers.

This vision aligns with a trend seen in several African countries facing rising food bills. According to international institutions, import dependence remains one of the continent’s main economic vulnerabilities.

Yet Gabon has considerable assets: fertile land, abundant water resources and climatic conditions favourable to many crops.

For Charles Edgar Mombo, the results observed on the ground already demonstrate the country’s potential. The minister praised the commitment of researchers and highlighted the ability of the national higher education system to concretely support the major directions set by President Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema.

Beyond the agricultural aspect, the message is political. Science is no longer called upon solely to produce knowledge. It must now contribute directly to national priorities.

A sovereignty still to be built

The progress recorded is encouraging. However, it should not obscure the challenges that remain.

The researchers themselves stress the need to expand experimental areas in order to improve trial quality and increase production volumes. The transition from scientific experimentation to industrial production is often the trickiest step.

The financial challenge is also significant. Agricultural modernisation requires massive investment, adequate infrastructure, financing mechanisms accessible to producers, and better organisation of value chains.

But for the first time in a long while, Gabon appears to be embarking on a coherent reflection linking research, agriculture, industry and economic sovereignty.

The ministerial visit to Kougouleu thus symbolises a paradigm shift. In the new vision promoted by the authorities, food independence will not only result from investments or administrative decisions. It will also come from laboratories, research centres and scientific innovation.

By 2027, if the objectives are met, Gabon could demonstrate that in Africa, food sovereignty is built as much with researchers as with farmers. A quiet but potentially decisive transformation for the country’s economic future.