About Yangambi

Yangambi has a long history of welcoming scientists and explorers interested in the Congo Basin. From 1933 to 1962, it hosted the headquarters of Africa’s most important research center for the study of tropical agriculture and forestry, the National Institute for Agronomic Study of the Belgian Congo (INEAC).

The Yangambi reserve was established in 1939, covering an area of 230,000 hectares. In 1977, it was declared a biosphere reserve – part of UNESCO’s Man and Biosphere Program - in an attempt to reconcile environmental protection with human activities.

Yangambi’s economy is strongly linked to scientific activities. In the past, the research center employed a part of the population and created indirect opportunities for the rest of the community. But the local economy declined in tandem with the research activities.