In northern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the landscape of Yangambi is located along the Congo river, in the thick Central African forest. The site that once housed the world's largest tropical agriculture institute, has today become a paradoxical place where communities have few economic opportunities, although surrounded by vast natural resources. This is why CIFOR, through its project FORETS (Training, Research, and Environment in the Tshopo province), funded by the European Union, is working to preserve the lush forest of Yangambi, while supporting local development.