DRC: The First Seed Fair Revives Indigenous and Local Communities in Maniema

A banner displayed by the organizers of the fair on Sunday, June 15, 2025, in Damala/Kindu, DRC ©Photo CBCS-Network.

A wind of hope blew through the rural commune of Wamaza this Sunday, June 15, 2025, in the heart of Maniema province. For the very first time in the Democratic Republic of Congo, a seed fair was organized, an initiative of the Congo Basin Conservation Society Network (CBCS-Network), with support from PORTICUS, AFSA, and the CS Fund.

On simple mats laid on the ground, local products and farmer seeds showcased the agricultural wealth of the DRC beans, sweet potatoes, pineapples, oil palm, soybeans, sorghum, maize, plantains, rice, groundnuts, and many other traditional varieties.

The Administrator of Kabambare territory, present at the site, expressed his pride at seeing such a pioneering agroecological initiative hosted on his land:

“It is an honor that Wamaza was chosen to launch this initiative. It shows that our land still holds great potential and traditional knowledge,” he said.

Once known as the « breadbasket of the DRC », Maniema is reconnecting with its agricultural roots through this activity. In a time when local seeds are increasingly marginalized by industrial agriculture, the fair gave new life to traditional knowledge and food sovereignty among local and indigenous communities.

The fair is part of the project “Supporting movements to influence agroecology-friendly policies and reduce forest pressure in the DRC”, being implemented in Maniema and South Kivutwo provinces with exceptional biodiversity, yet threatened by mining and deforestation.

It was also in Wamaza, Kabambare territory, that the national campaign “MY SEED, MY LIFE” was officially launched. Its message is crystal clear: preserving farmer seeds is preserving life.

 “Even in conflict zones, when a family still has local seeds, there’s a chance to start over. It’s a seed of hope that no one can take away,” said a female farmer from Kasongo.

This campaign denounces the growing dependence on industrial seeds, often hybrid or genetically modified, which are poorly suited to local realities, less resilient to climate change, and disconnected from the DRC’s environmental commitments (NDC, NBSAP).

Through these seed fairs, CBCS-Network pursues three major goals, strengthen grassroots agroecological movements, led by communities themselves;promote the exchange of farmer seeds to preserve local genetic diversity;encourage local policies that support agroecology and forest protection.

The seeds showcased in Wamaza were not just agricultural products they carried with them the history, identity, and resilience of the people. Every shared variety was a tradition passed on, a future being cultivated.

CBCS-Network and its partners now hope to expand this momentum to other regions of the DRC.

“Defending farmer seeds is also defending food sovereignty, the biodiversity of the Congo Basin, and the right of communities to live with dignity on their land,” concluded Josué ARUNA SEFU, coordinator of the organization.