Purpose This paper aims to produce a framework for climate-smart agriculture (CSA) in the Yangambi landscape, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). This would enable the authors to identify agricultural practices, assess vulnerability to climate change, identify options for improving agricultural systems from a climate change mitigation and adaptation perspective and finally provide climate-smart agricultural options. Design/methodology/approach The study used household survey methods of data collection. The data were collected using a structured questionnaire survey by interviewing 250 farm households, subdivided using three axes of the Yangambi landscape. Fisher’s exact test was used to determine relationships between two or more variables. Findings Results of the survey revealed that the vast majority (98%) of respondents perceived changes in temperature, rainfall and weather patterns. Reduction of crop yields and the emergence of new weed species and new crop pests are the main impacts on agricultural activities. Although 87.6% of respondents have no means of adaptation and resilience, some of them use crops rotation, fallow practice, fertilizers and bio-pesticides. A framework for CSA is proposed for the Yangambi landscape. Practical implications Policies and strategies to promote CSA in the study area should take into account local farmers' perceptions of climate change and consider first the adequacy of CSA practices for the specific conditions of the target area before its promotion. This study is thus useful for many REDD+ initiatives that are currently being promoted in DRC and particularly in the Tshopo Province. Originality/value This study is one of the first studies to focus on CSA in the Yangambi landscape, DRC. It assists the use of agriculture as a response to reducing deforestation while at the same time lowering agriculture’s carbon footprint and promoting a resilient and more productive farming system.

Cocoa agroforestry has evolved into an accepted natural resource conservation strategy in the tropics. It is regularly proposed as one of the main uses for REDD+ projects (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation and the role of conservation, sustainable management of forests, and enhancement of forest carbon stocks in developing countries) in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. However, few studies have characterized the cocoa agroforestry systems in this country. Hence, this research proposes to determine the impact of distance from Kisangani (the unique city in the landscape) and land-use intensity on the floristic composition of cocoa agroforests in Bengamisa-Yangambi forest landscape in the Congo Basin. The results revealed that species diversity and density of plants associated with cocoa are influenced by the distance from Kisangani (the main city in the landscape and province). Farmers maintain/introduce trees that play one or more of several roles. They may host caterpillars, provide food, medicine, or timber, or deliver other functions such as providing shade to the cocoa tree. Farmers maintain plants with edible products (mainly oil palms) in their agroforests more than other plants. Thus, these agroforests play key roles in conserving the floristic diversity of degraded areas. As cocoa agroforestry has greater potential for production, biodiversity conservation, and environmental protection, it should be used to slow down or even stop deforestation and forest degradation.

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Les forêts tropicales de la République démocratique du Congo sont menacées par la déforestation et la dégradation forestière, qui affectent la structure et la diversité arborée. Cette étude a pour objectif de quantifier les pertes de biomasse et de diversité liées à la déforestation et à la dégradation, en se concentrant sur la réserve de biosphère de Yangambi. Quatre parcelles de 50 m x 50 m ont été inventoriées dans chacun des huit types d’utilisation des terres identifiés : la forêt mature mixte, la forêt mature à Gilbertiodendron dewevrei, les champs des cultures vivrières, les jachères (5 à 10 ans), les forêts secondaires (20 à 40 ans), les plantations de cacaoyers, les plantations de caféiers et les plantations de palmiers à huile. Les stocks de biomasse dans les forêts matures s’élèvent à environ 400 et 380 Mg/ha respectivement pour la forêt à G. dewevrei et la forêt mixte. Les résultats montrent que la forêt mature perd 50, 70 et 90 % de sa biomasse aérienne quand elle est convertie en plantations de cacaoyers, caféiers et palmiers, respectivement, et la quasi-totalité (99 %) lorsqu’elle est convertie en champs de cultures vivrières ; mais quand le champ est abandonné, la biomasse se reconstitue progressivement à 7,5 % après 5 à 10 ans et à 38,8 % après 20 à 40 ans. La diversité est aussi impactée par la conversion, et, bien que la richesse spécifique semble se reconstituer plus rapidement que la biomasse, la composition est fondamentalement modifiée. Ces résultats fournissent des informations essentielles pour quantifier les impacts des solutions « naturelles » pour lutter contre le changement climatique : la protection des forêts matures, l’amélioration de la gestion forestière et le reboisement ; même si l’approche doit être étendue à plus grande échelle.