Lydie-Stella Koutika is a Soil Scientist at CRDPI, Pointe-Noire, Republic of the Congo. She obtained an engineer degree in agronomy (Moscow Timiryazev Agricultural Academy) and a PhD in soil science (Université Nancy I, currently Université de Lorraine, France). Her research focuses on soil organic matter (C & N) and P. She is a former fellow “Research in Brussels” (2003-2004), Belgium, Rothamsted International (2009-2010), UK, TWAS-ENEA, Rome Italy and a member of ‘The Phosphorus Sustainability Research Coordination, Network’. She is a member of the Scientific and Technical Committee of the ‘4 per 1000’ Initiative “Soils for Food Security and Climate”, a laureate of the ‘African Union Kwame Nkrumah Regional Scientific Award for Women’ (2014) and TWAS-Al-Kharafi Prize (2018). She has published >40 peer-reviewed journal papers and several book chapters. She is also a novel writer (<12 books) and is strongly dedicated to her catholic faith and to the development of Africa.