Core area “Transformation of agriculture and food systems” Modernising the agricultural sector, improving people's living conditions

    At the request of the Cameroonian government, Germany has been supporting rural development in the country since 2015. The purpose of these efforts is to improve food security and create more job opportunities in order to improve people's lives in the country's less developed regions.

    Harvesting yams in a local farm in Bafia, Cameroon

    Harvesting yams in a local farm in Bafia, Cameroon

    The modernisation of the agricultural sector is intended to reduce Cameroon's dependence on imports. Another goal is to give the country access to export markets, where requirements (such as deforestation-free supply chains) are becoming stricter. In order to achieve these goals, GIZ is assisting its Cameroonian partners in moving from an agricultural system that mainly serves domestic needs towards agricultural production that generates a profit but is also socially and environmentally sustainable.

    The focus is on agricultural training, soil-conserving and resource-saving farming and production methods that are also adapted to climate change, the reduction of post-harvest losses, water management, and infrastructure development (especially transport routes to improve access in rural regions).

    Under the BMZ's Special Initiative “Transformation of Agricultural and Food Systems”, a Green Innovation Centre has been established. It supports value chain development for cocoa, cotton, potatoes, sesame, nuts, milk and poultry by disseminating technical innovations and offering training for small farmers and agricultural extension officers.


    Regulating land use, preventing conflict

    Together with the European Union, the BMZ is supporting a project to improve cotton production in Cameroon's largest cotton cultivation area. This region is characterised by particularly high poverty rates, progressing loss of soil fertility, high levels of migration, and land use conflicts. The programme is geared towards enhancing economic performance in the areas of farming and livestock and towards applying climate-adapted production methods.

    In the last few years, the number of cattle moving through the country has increased manifold. In combination with the impacts of climate change and population growth, this is leading to increased land use conflicts between farmers and pastoralists. In order to reduce such conflict, the BMZ is working with local traditional authorities to provide a training centre for transhumant herders. In parallel, the BMZ is supporting a regional project geared towards adapting traditional cross-border transhumance to the changing general environment.

    As at: 27/02/2024