In the heart of Cameroon’s cacao country, Indigenous Baka communities are proving that sustainable farming can protect both livelihoods and wildlife. René Etoua Meto’o, a 26-year-old father of three, once struggled to make ends meet near the Dja Faunal Reserve. Today, he’s producing premium cocoa without cutting down a single tree. Supported by the UN Environment Programme, the Global Environment Facility, the Congo Basin Landscapes Initiative is helping local farmers to increase yields while safeguarding the rainforest - one of the world’s largest carbon sinks and home to elephants, chimpanzees, and over 11,000 species. The Congo Basin Landscapes Initiative is a regional effort to uphold Indigenous rights, halt deforestation, and bring the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework to life. Because people need nature to thrive.