In Belém, on the sidelines of COP30, the Alliance for Food Sovereignty in Africa (AFSA) made a strong impression by unveiling its Congo Basin Biodiversity, Climate and Agroecology Initiative (COBCAI). Presented on 12 November 2025 by a delegation led by Anne Maina and Cathy Mboyangawo, the initiative was submitted to the Congolese Minister of the Environment with a clear message: protecting the Congo Basin must now be grounded in the communities who depend on it and in a just agroecological transition.
AFSA recalls that the Congo Basin— the world’s second-largest tropical forest after the Amazon and a pillar of global climate stability— is going through a critical period. As emphasized by Cathy Mboyangawo, President of SOCEARUCO and AFSA focal point in the DRC, the region is experiencing alarming ecological degradation: massive deforestation, rising slash-and-burn agriculture, unsustainable farming practices, and disorderly exploitation of mineral and forest resources. These pressures are driving increased greenhouse gas emissions, the destruction of natural habitats, growing conflicts between humans and wildlife, and the gradual collapse of the livelihoods of more than 60 million people, including Indigenous peoples and local communities. In a context of political instability and persistent poverty, the situation threatens both local balance and global climate security.
It is in this perspective that COBCAI was designed as a structuring regional project implemented in six countries — Cameroon, the Central African Republic, the DRC, the Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, and Gabon — with the ambition of restoring by 2035 a balance between tropical forest conservation, human rights, and food security. The originality of the initiative lies in its community-centered approach: family farmers, Indigenous peoples, women, youth, local organizations, researchers, policymakers, and private actors. Agroecology is placed at the heart of this transformation as a sustainable response capable of restoring soils, strengthening food sovereignty, and reducing tensions linked to access to natural resources.
The expected social impact is considerable. The initiative plans to directly reach 129,000 people — including 34,000 men, 35,000 women, 30,000 young men, and 30,000 young women — and indirectly involve more than 1.35 million beneficiaries. The targeted groups range from small-scale producers to civil society organizations, public services, local communities, religious institutions, research centers, and the media. This diversity reflects the ambition of a programme that seeks to be both inclusive and transformative.
COBCAI also integrates a crucial component on conflict analysis and prevention related to land and natural resources, in order to strengthen community dialogue and promote sustainable solutions based on peace and cooperation. The programme relies on substantial capacity-building at the local level, participatory governance with community-led monitoring and evaluation, and the integration of innovative solutions adapted to evolving needs on the ground. The initiative aims to be flexible, evolving, and closely connected to village realities to ensure its relevance and effectiveness.
Through this initiative, AFSA sends a strong signal: the future of the Congo Basin — and, beyond it, global climate stability — will depend on the ability to empower local populations to manage their lands and forests sustainably. By focusing on agroecology, social justice, and food sovereignty, the organization promotes an African pathway that protects the environment while strengthening the dignity of communities.
The Congo Basin thus emerges as a true laboratory for the future, where an exemplary ecological transition is taking shape. With COBCAI, AFSA once again establishes itself as a key actor in defending biodiversity, food security, and climate justice in Africa.
By kilalopress
