A conference in DR Congo on central Africa’s precious rainforests has raised the alarm about the colliding interests of conservation and farming.

Covering 1.6 million square kilometres (more than 625,000 square miles), the Congo Basin forest is known as “the second lungs of the planet” after the Amazon, as it represents the planet’s second-largest carbon sink.

The forests are also home to huge biodiversity including elephants and gorillas, but they face threats such as poaching, deforestation and illegal logging.

Participants at a three-day regional meeting in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s capital Kinshasa voiced “strong concerns” over the “immediate threats” facing the forests.

They include deforestation, forest degradation, climate change and unsustainable agriculture, according to a final declaration agreed Thursday.

The conference was attended by more than 200 participants from civil society and indigenous groups, as well as governments.

They also said it was urgent “to find a balance between conservation and food sovereignty” in the Congo Basin.

They highlighted the potential of agro-ecology “as a fundamental solution” for setting up food systems that are resistant to climate change and support local communities.

Participants also voiced support for the land rights of indigenous communities and “the battle against monopolisation of the land”.