Aspiro Market in Kisangani: Challenges, Local Trade and the Vision for a Better Market

Farmers markets play a vital role in connecting local producers with consumers, supporting livelihoods and ensuring access to fresh food. However, behind the daily activity of these markets, there are often significant challenges related to infrastructure, accessibility, food safety and the organisation of local trade.

In Kisangani, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Aspiro Market is an important point of reference for local traders and consumers. Yet, its current conditions reveal the difficulties faced by those who depend on the market for their livelihoods and by the communities relying on it for their daily food supply.

Through its work on infrastructure, food safety and environmental sustainability, Slow Food Kisangani, a member of the World Farmers Markets Coalition, is drawing attention to these challenges and advocating for a transformation that puts producers, traders and consumers at the centre.

A market facing significant challenges

One of the main obstacles affecting Aspiro Market is the poor condition of the roads connecting it to surrounding agricultural areas. Road deterioration makes transporting food increasingly difficult, creating delays, contributing to product shortages and raising transportation costs for small producers. These difficulties can directly affect the availability and final price of food sold at the market.

Sanitation and hygiene are equally pressing concerns. Like several other markets in Kisangani, Aspiro lacks essential infrastructure, including adequate waste management systems and access to drinking water. Selling and handling food in an environment without basic hygiene conditions raises concerns about consumer health and the safety and quality of products.

The market is also vulnerable to the broader security and political situation in the city. Political tensions and public demonstrations can disrupt commercial activities, sometimes forcing traders to temporarily close their stalls, reducing customer activity and exposing businesses to security risks, including looting.

Together, these challenges make everyday trading increasingly difficult for the people who depend on Aspiro Market.

How local traders bring their products to the market

Despite these obstacles, Aspiro remains an active centre of local trade, bringing together traders, small producers and consumers from Kisangani and surrounding areas.

Much of the market’s activity takes place through informal and traditional sales methods. Many vendors, particularly women working as small-scale retailers, display their products on makeshift stalls, along the roadside or directly on the ground to attract customers.

Among the products available are some of the region’s most important agricultural and local goods, including plantains, cassava, tomatoes and rice, as well as charcoal transported from neighbouring villages.

The market also depends heavily on river transport and connections with peri-urban agricultural areas. Some traders cross the Congo River to bring their products to Kisangani, while others rely on agricultural routes and small intermediaries to reach the market. Canoes and other small-scale means of transport remain essential to the movement of goods and the functioning of these local supply chains.

However, the lack of adequate selling facilities and the overcrowding of public spaces mean that many traders have little choice but to sell their products under precarious conditions, using makeshift umbrellas or setting up directly along roads and other public areas.

These practices reflect not only the informal nature of much of the local trade, but also the urgent need for better-organised and properly equipped market spaces.

Looking towards a healthier and more sustainable market

For Slow Food Kisangani, addressing these challenges requires more than improving the physical appearance of the market. It means creating an environment where local producers can sell their products under fair conditions, traders can work with dignity and consumers can access safe, healthy food.

The organisation advocates for a transition towards a more modern and better-organised market, with adequate selling spaces, improved hygiene and sanitation facilities, and infrastructure that supports the development of shorter local supply chains.

Such a transformation would help strengthen connections between local producers and consumers, reduce some of the difficulties associated with food transportation and ensure fairer prices for local market gardeners. At the same time, it would contribute to improving food safety and the overall market environment for Kisangani residents.

The future of Aspiro Market is therefore closely connected to the wider development of the city’s local food system. Investing in markets means investing in the people who produce, transport, sell and consume food every day.

Through its commitment to improving market conditions and supporting local food systems, Slow Food Kisangani reminds us that a well-functioning farmers market is not simply a place of trade: it is essential infrastructure for healthier communities, stronger local economies and a more sustainable food future.

This article draws on insights and information shared by Victor Yemba Kitendua, Head of the Slow Food Afya Kisangani Convivium, who provided an overview of the current situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, including the challenges facing local communities and markets.