Article 1: Food Security and Armed Conflict in the DRC

Insecurity Insight. (2025). Chronic insecurity: How armed groups undermine food security in Ituri and North Kivu provinces, Democratic Republic of Congo. ReliefWeb.
https://reliefweb.int/report/democratic-republic-congo/chronic-insecurity-how-armed-groups-undermine-food-security-ituri-and-north-kivu-provinces-democratic-republic-congo-february-2025

1. Destruction of agricultural production

Armed conflict makes it difficult for farmers to safely cultivate their land because farmland may be damaged or controlled by armed groups. This situation reduces agricultural production and food supply.

2. Forced population displacement

Conflict forces many people to leave their homes and become internally displaced persons. When people lose their land and sources of income, it becomes difficult for them to produce or purchase enough food.

3. Disruption of food supply chains

Armed conflict affects transportation routes and market activities, making it difficult for food to be transported to conflict-affected areas. This reduces food availability in local markets and pushes food prices higher.

4. Looting or destruction of food

Some armed groups seize crops or food reserves, which directly reduces the amount of food available to households and increases the risk of hunger.

Article 2: Food Markets and Diets

Marivoet, W. (2022). Food markets and diets in the Democratic Republic of the Congo: A geographical overview. Journal of Asian and African Studies. https://doi.org/10.1177/00219096221120922

1. Inefficient food markets

Food markets in the DRC are poorly connected and inefficient, which limits the distribution of food between regions.

2. Weak transportation and market connections

Poor infrastructure makes it difficult to transport food from rural production areas to urban markets such as Kinshasa.

3. High food prices in cities

Limited market supply and transportation problems can increase food prices in urban areas.

4. Low household purchasing power

Many households cannot afford enough food because of low income and economic constraints.

5. Calorie deficiencies in some regions

Households in places such as South Kivu and Kinshasa experience significant calorie shortages.

Article 3: Climate change and food insecurity

Amani, R. K., Vandenabeele, J., & Bielders, C. L. (2022). Climate change perceptions and adaptations among smallholder farmers in the mountains of eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. Land, 11(5), 628. https://doi.org/10.3390/land11050628

1. Climate change reduces agricultural productivity.

Climate variability, such as irregular rainfall and rising temperatures, damages crops and reduces agricultural yields, which decreases the overall food supply.

2. Extreme weather events disrupt farming activities.

Climate change increases droughts, floods, and unpredictable seasons, which damage farmland and interrupt planting and harvesting cycles.

3. Smallholder farmers are highly vulnerable.

Most food production in the Democratic Republic of the Congo depends on small-scale farmers, and climate-related crop losses increase the risk of food insecurity for rural households.

Another source about the Congo which might come in handy in the future