A woman making couscous in the village of Lua Ipeke, where some landowners have signed contracts with the logging company, Sodefor. Industrial logging companies use the contracts to gain access to land, promising local development and offering goods such as a bag of salt or a crate of beer. Logging is viewed by the World Bank and other donors as a way to alleviate poverty and promote economic development. Expansion of logging into remaining areas of intact forests in the Democratic Republic of the Congo will destroy globally critical carbon reserves and impact biodiversity. Beyond environmental impacts, logging in the region exacerbates poverty and leads to social conflicts. The DRC’s rainforests are critical for its inhabitants, who depend upon the rainforests to provide essential food, medicine, and other non-timber products, along with energy and building materials.