Uncertainty forces the daily lives of small farmers Bushi in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, for over a decade after the banana bacterial wilt has literally broken the economic landscape, social, cultural and ecological region. This study attempts to highlight the socio-economic factors that influence the choice of strategies and practices of farmers face this crisis. The data, both quantitative and qualitative, were collected from 232 farmers in 16 localities of Kabare and Walungu in South Kivu in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. The result of the econometric analysis shows a correlation between socioeconomic factors and farmers' practices. All things being equal, factors such as age, participation in off-farm activities, experience, size of household, size, membership in the association, access to credit, possession of livestock, traumatic history, the importance of the banana and the severity of the crisis significantly influenced the choice of practices and copings strategies. These results suggest approaches and agricultural and economic stimulus programs that integrate various farmers' logic in the Bushi area to the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

This study analyzes the impact of banana bacterial wilt on the income of small farmers in the region Bushi and inventory practices and strategies Started by them to survive in this new context. The data, both quantitative and qualitative, were collected from 232 farmers in 16 localities of Kabare and Walungu in South Kivu in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. The results show a significant reduction of 59.8% of monthly income per affected operator to be $ 31.1 to $ 52 declared. These economic losses could reach $ 7.2 million a month in the study area the month, 86.4 million annually to the absence of effective control measures. Various levers, non-exclusive, have been developed by agricultural households to survive the crisis. This is, essentially, agricultural diversification, pluriactivity, the use of social support networks to pool risk, the agricultural wage labor, and the use of agricultural innovation. These results suggest approaches and agricultural and economic stimulus programs that integrate various farmers' logic in the Bushi area to the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo.