Africa: Fragmented Policies Hold Back Agroecology Adoption in Africa's Congo Basin

In the Congo Basin, fragmented policies across six countries are hindering the adoption of agroecological models, despite their proven benefits for sustainable agriculture and climate regulation. During the Second Congo Basin Convening on Agroecology in Yaounde, Cameroon, experts, activists, and government representatives identified several barriers, including a lack of advisory services, organic inputs, market outlets, and sustainable financing.

Mohamed Abakar, Head of Agriculture at the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS), emphasized the need for a regional framework for agroecology and organic farming to integrate into existing policies such as the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and the Regional Agricultural Investment Plan (RAIP). The Yaounde Declaration 2026 urged regional bodies and neighboring states to coordinate their decisions to protect the basin, as trade corridors, mining, energy, and infrastructure investments can either support or degrade agroecology.

Abakar called for the adoption of agroecology by name in the domestication of the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) and for allocating at least 30% of sector allocations to agroecology. The Congo Basin, home to the largest continuous forest in Africa, faces significant threats from industrial agriculture and extractive industries, with forests storing over 90.9 billion tonnes of carbon.

While the region aims to build sustainable agrifood systems that feed populations, boost rural incomes, create jobs, and preserve the Congo Basin, challenges remain in aligning agricultural, land, and trade policies across countries.