South Kivu: Validation of the Provincial Agroecology Strategy to Reconcile Forest Protection and Food Security

“We protect forests, but people need to eat.”it is on this clear-eyed observation that Ladislas Witanene, Program Officer at the Congo Basin Conservation Society (CBCS), launched the finalization and validation of the Provincial Agroecology Strategy this Friday, October 31, 2025.

This initiative aims to promote local and sustainable farming practices while ensuring food security and climate resilience for rural communities.

This strategy represents a strategic turning point for the province, seeking to restore soils, protect forests, and strengthen food production without compromising ecosystems.

“We are at the beginning of a process that requires everyone’s contribution  institutions, scientists, local communities, Indigenous peoples, and the private sector,”declared Ladislas Witanene.

For him, agroecology is not a trendy concept but a survival policy and a lever for mobilizing climate finance in support of local development.

The Provincial Agroecology Strategy is built on several key pillars.

It places special emphasis on the sustainable management of natural resources, soil restoration, forest protection, and the valorization of local knowledge.

It also integrates a governance component to strengthen institutional coordination and promote a legal framework conducive to green investment.

Social inclusion is at the heart of the strategy, with the active participation of women and youth in agroecological value chains, as well as training and community empowerment programs.

Research and scientific innovation are encouraged through partnerships with universities and research centers, while climate change mitigation remains a cross-cutting priority.

Professor Yves Ndjadi emphasized the need to preserve ancestral knowledge to make agriculture sustainable.

According to him,

> “We must prevent our traditional crops from disappearing. Sustainability is also about memory. We must value what Indigenous peoples already know for sustainable consumption. We need to build on local knowledge, ancestral models of conservation, and traditional seed selection practices.”

This approach reinforces the idea that agroecology is not limited to modern science, but also draws upon cultural mechanisms of nature management passed down through generations.

For his part, Mr. Dieudonné Byaombe, Provincial Coordinator of SENASEM (National Seed Service), stressed the importance of using high-quality seeds.

> “We need quality seeds to achieve a multiplying agriculture — one that generates new yields instead of recycling old seeds,”

he explained.

He believes that SENASEM has a key role to play in bridging the gap between science and traditional practices. According to him, Indigenous peoples must learn seed multiplication and conservation to strengthen their autonomy and production capacity.

The Provincial Agroecology Strategy of South Kivu calls for collective mobilization.

Public institutions, researchers, journalists, community organizations, and technical partners must join forces to transform agricultural practices sustainably.

 “This is a provincial endeavor where everyone must contribute. Agroecology is everyone’s business,”

concluded Ladislas Witanene.