Leaders Signed Yaounde Declaration for Agroecology
Experts gathered in Cameroon this August to adopt a new plan for sustainable agriculture in the Congo Basin.
Updated on Sept. 29, 2026 in Organic Food
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In August 2026, experts and government representatives convened in Yaounde, Cameroon, to formalize the Yaounde Declaration 2026. The agreement seeks to shift regional focus toward agroecology to protect the Congo Basin forest ecosystem.
Why it matters
Current agricultural and land policies in the region remain fragmented, leaving forests vulnerable to industrial expansion and extractive industries. This framework aims to align national policies to preserve a massive carbon sink while modernizing agricultural practices.
The Congo Basin stores more than 90.9 billion tonnes of carbon, a vital resource currently under threat from rising deforestation. The new declaration proposes that 30 percent of agricultural sector budgets be dedicated to agroecological practices.
The players
Congo Basin
This central African region contains one of the worlds largest tropical rainforests and serves as a critical global carbon sink.
Comprehensive African Agricultural Development Programme
This policy framework aims to promote agriculture-led development across the African continent.
The details
The Yaounde Declaration urges member states to integrate agroecology into their national policies and the domestication of the Comprehensive African Agricultural Development Programme. Regional communities are also requested to create a standing channel to manage trans-boundary drivers of deforestation that currently affect the basin.
Timeline
Forest loss in the Congo Basin doubled between 2010 and 2020.
Cameroon enacted Law No. 2025/013 on December 17, 2025.
The Second Congo Basin Convening on Agroecology took place in August 2026.
Culture Shift
The Yaounde Declaration marks a significant departure from the Kampala Declaration, which failed to explicitly include agroecology in its agricultural mandate. This shift indicates a broader movement toward prioritizing sustainable land management over traditional industrial models in African environmental policy.
The proposed shift toward agroecology will influence how local farmers access funding and manage indigenous seeds in the coming years. Residents in the Congo Basin may see new legislative protections for agricultural land as countries align their laws with the Yaounde standards.
The takeaway
The Yaounde Declaration provides a roadmap for integrating environmental sustainability into national agricultural budgets. Implementing these policies is essential to curb the rapid forest loss observed in the basin over the last decade.
Further reading
For more on regional sustainable farming initiatives, visit the Organic Food section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by IPS Inter Press Service - Global News Agency.
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