Food security in a context of war, mineral rush and population explosion: The case of Bukavu, Eastern DRC

Working Paper 30

Bossissi Nkuba, Liliane Nabintu Kabagale, Ayagirwelarha Cishibanji, Pacifique Mwene-Batu, Adrien Burume and Ghislain Bisimwa Balaluka

July 2025

Abstract

In cities where high birth rates are coupled with massive immigration due to violent conflicts, reaching and maintaining food security can be challenging. This gets worse when local food production is lowered by the exodus of farming communities, low yields, and poor roads hindering access to fertilisers and pesticides, with more governmental focus on the mineral sector. In Bukavu, as in similar cities, the local community finds ways to cope with such challenges through food importation, but they often become prey to producers of highly processed and nutrient-poor foods. To analyse the challenges these conditions pose to food security and access to healthy diets, and to explore potential paths forward for a city amidst a mineral rush, population boom and ongoing conflict, we employed a mixed-methods approach. Through focus group discussions (with nutritionists, urban planners, policymakers, local authorities and private-sector actors, academics and consumers), key informant interviews (with users and providers of both formal and informal food services), and a literature review (to map relevant actors and existing research on food security, nutrition and health policies), we attempted to better understand food security, its policies and factors influencing its status in the city. Results showed that low household income, low agricultural productivity, inflation, poor road conditions, ongoing conflicts and the mineral rush negatively affect food availability and the food environment in Bukavu. Despite the absence of a clear political will and poor state authority, coupled with corruption, there is a small effort to improve food availability by the government and its partners.

Keywords

Violent conflicts, mineral sector, food security, informal settlements, Bukavu