Launch of the 1st seed fair organised by the Congo Basin Conservation Society Network.

Launch of the 1st seed fair organised by the Congo Basin Conservation Society Network.

Maniema province, in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo, saw the launch on 15 June of the first seed fair organised in the DRC by the Congo Basin Conservation Society Network.

Maniema province in the Kivu region is one of the regions targeted by the ‘Supporting movements to influence policies in favour of agroecology and reduce pressure on forests in the DRC’ project, which is financially supported by PORTICUS, AFSA & CS Fund and targets the two provinces of Maniema and South Kivu in the east of the DRC.

These two areas, where CBCS-Network operates, contain large forest landscapes with high key biodiversity under strong pressure from logging and mining, and are considered to be agro-ecological landscapes of great importance where farmers' seeds play a fundamental role in the preservation of biodiversity, food sovereignty for local communities and indigenous peoples, and economic resilience in areas affected by armed conflict.

One of the results of this project is the establishment of grassroots agroecological movements that are sustainable, aligned and capable of influencing the development of agroecological policies.

The organization of agroecological seed fairs in the 2 provinces remains a priority for CBCS-Network in order to encourage the production and diversification of local products and seeds and the organization of territorial markets. The fair also marked the launch of the season's agricultural campaign.

The aim of this 1st seed fair in the DRC was to launch the campaign initiated by AFSA and its partners, ‘MY SEED MY LIFE’.

These local farmers' seeds are the bedrock of peasant agriculture, but they are under increasing threat from the widespread use of hybrid and genetically modified seeds imposed by industrial agriculture.

Faced with the challenges posed by this dependence on industrial seeds, which are less resistant to the effects of climate change, affect our food system and our health, and are not in line with agricultural policies in line with global climate ambitions (the nationally determined contributions (NDC) and the National Strategy and Action Plan on Biodiversity (NBSAP)) and are often unfavorable to agro-ecological practices based on indigenous knowledge.

The aim of the ‘MY SEED MY LIFE’ campaign is to promote local seeds and recognize the indigenous practices that have helped to preserve the forests of the Congo Basin in the DRC.

These seeds are not just food production tools; they represent a living heritage, the fruit of centuries of traditional knowledge, cultivation practices and spirituality rooted in the communities of the DRC and Maniema Province, once known as the ‘granary of the DRC’.

The organization of the seed fair in the province of Maniema at wamaza on 15 June 2025 is part of a drive to support the establishment of grassroots movements aimed at influencing agro-ecology policies and reducing pressure on forests in the DRC, a strategic approach to preserving forests, promoting the peasant seed system for food sovereignty, and defending biodiversity in the face of growing threats to forests and biodiversity in the Congo Basin.

This initiative, implemented by the Congo Basin Conservation Society Network and its partners, aims to strengthen networks of exchange and solidarity between farmers, raise awareness among indigenous people and local communities and encourage policies favorable to agroecology at local level for the organization of territorial markets.

Through the organization of seed fairs, this campaign has the following specific objectives.

1. 1. To facilitate the establishment of a strong local agro-ecology movement promoting peasant exchanges in seed diversity between farmers and local organizations in the provinces of Maniema and South Kivu;
   2. Raise awareness among local producers, via messaging services, of the advantages of farmers' seeds over industrial seeds that are destroying our food systems and forests;
   3. Encourage local policies in favor of agro-ecology to protect forests by developing provincial agro-ecology policies/strategies in line with the reforms under way in the DRC.

Some key messages from the ‘MY SEED MY LIFE’ campaign in the DRC

1. Without seeds, there is no life
2. Our farmers' seeds, our future, our health
3. Despite the war in the DRC, when there is farmer seed, there is always hope in our families
4. Stop the marginalisation of farmers' seeds in the DRC
5. Our peasant seed systems are the foundation of agroecology for our food system.
6. Our peasant seed is our right and our future
7. Our peasant seed is our cultural heritage’ in the DRC
8. Our peasant seed, an identity, a dignity’.
9. ‘Farmers’ seeds guarantee biodiversity’ in the Congo Basin
10. Farmers' seeds, our past, our present, our future
11. Indigenous women and local communities are the guardians of seeds in the DRC through their traditional knowledge practices.