Ruzizi Plain: Agroecology as a Driver of Peace and Resilience

Katogota (Ruzizi Plain), August 19, 2026 – In South Kivu Province, a new dynamic of resilience and social cohesion is taking shape in Katogota. After years marked by the consequences of war, the Congo Basin Conservation Society (CBCS-Network) has launched a major humanitarian intervention. More than 60 members of the Cooperative of Livestock Farmers for Integral Development (COOPEDI) have received strategic support in the form of agricultural inputs and farming tools, paving the way for a sustainable revival of food production.

A Dual-Impact Initiative

This initiative directly targets Indigenous Peoples (IPs) and Local Communities (LCs) living around the Katogota hippopotamus tourism site. It pursues two major objectives:

• Strengthening food sovereignty ahead of the main agricultural Season A through certified disease-resistant cassava planting materials.
• Reducing human-wildlife conflicts by involving communities in the protection of hippopotamus habitats along the Ruzizi River.

Each household received a kit including hardened-steel hoes, clearing machetes, watering cans, and improved cassava cuttings. This support represents an important step toward diversifying crops beyond amaranth, which has so far been a major source of livelihood.

Challenges of the Agroecological Transition

Despite this momentum, farmers in Katogota continue to face structural challenges:

• Climate change disrupting rainfall patterns and agricultural cycles.
• Limited funding and a chronic shortage of suitable seeds.
• Lack of local processing infrastructure.
• Soil degradation and continued reliance on chemical fertilizers.
• The need to strengthen the inclusion of women and youth, which is essential for making agroecology a driver of peace, resilience, and investment.

Strategic International Support

This intervention aligns with the vision of Land is Life and the Agroecology Fund, which support self-determination, climate justice, and the rights of Indigenous Peoples. Three priorities guide this action:

• Mitigating intercommunity tensions related to access to land and forest resources.
• Creating economic synergies among different social groups within the village.
• Involving communities in the protection and conservation of hippopotamus habitats.

Towards Lasting Peace

By valuing traditional knowledge and actively involving local and Indigenous communities, this project demonstrates that food security and biodiversity conservation can coexist. Katogota is thus becoming a living laboratory where agroecology is emerging as a powerful tool for peace, climate resilience, and ecological sustainability.

#CBCS