CAMEROON
Location
Cameroon forms a bridge between West Africa and Central Africa.
The triangle-shaped country is bounded one the east by Chad and the
Central African Republic; on the south by the Republic of the
Congo, Gabon, and Equatorial Guinea; and on the west by the
Atlantic Ocean and Nigeria. Measuring about 700 km east to west and
1,200 km from north to south, Cameroon covers an area of 475,442
km2. The country's climate varies with terrain, from tropical along
coast to semiarid and hot in north.
Agricultural sector
Agriculture is the main pillar of Cameroon's economy. It
accounts for 43 % of GDP, employs 70 % of the working population
and generates more than one third of total export earnings (Fresh
Produce Journal 2004). Main agricultural products include
plantains, cattle meat, cocoa beans, taro, bananas, maize, fresh
vegetables and groundnuts. Cameroon's primary export crops are
cocoa, cotton, coffee, bananas, rubber and palm oil (FAO,
14.07.2006). The country's main export partner is the European
Union. However, still the bigger part of agricultural activity is
confined to subsistence level farming.
Overview of organic farming
As in most West African countries, the organic sector in
Cameroon is still underdeveloped. Estimates of certified organic
production suggest that 7,000 hectares of land are under organic
management accounting for 0.08 % of the total agricultural area
(IFOAM & FiBL 2006). The country shows a strong potential for
further developing the organic sector to meet export opportunities
and create a more sustainable form of agriculture. High premiums
for organic produce, the increasing costs of synthetic farm inputs
and a lack of support for ordinary farming have led to some entire
areas spontaneously converting to organic farming (IFOAM 2003).
Key organic products
Cameroon is well known for its climatic, geographic and
ecological diversity, which enables farmers to grow a wide variety
of crops. The most frequently cultivated export crops on
Cameroonian organic farms are bananas, pineapples, avocadoes,
mangoes, papayas, coffee and cocoa. Other certified products
include herbs, spices, tubers and medical plants. There is a
growing emphasis on processing some of the fruit crops through
drying, pulping and juicing (IFOAM 2003).
The network
In Cameroon, there are two organisations gathering operators of
the organic sector: ASPABIC (Association for the Promotion of
Organic Agriculture in Cameroon) in the French-speaking part and
AVEGRO in the English-speaking area. Both groups concentrate on
promoting the sector and raising public awareness. They provide
their members with information services, technical assistance and
training.
Two external bodies, IMO and Ecocert, offer organic
certification services in Cameroon (IFOAM 2003).
ASPABIC
Philomène Bomia
Tel.: + 237 439 126
Fax: + 237 374 507
External Support
The Cameroon organic agriculture sector has been receiving
support from the following external organisations amongst
others:
Capacity Building
International, Germany (InWEnt)
International
Federation of Organic Agriculture Movement (IFOAM)
Food and
Agriculture Organisation (FAO)
German Technical
Cooperation (GTZ)
Network for
Ecofarming in Africa (NECOFA)
References
- FAO, 14.07.2006: Key Statistics of Food and Agriculture
External Trade. Food and Agricultural Organization of the United
Nations (FAO), Statistics Division. URL:
www.fao.org/es/ess/toptrade/trade.asp?dir=exp&country=3&ryear=2004
and www.fao.org/es/ess/top/country.html?lang=en
- Fresh Produce Journal (2004): Fresh Produce Desk Book 2004.
London.
- IFOAM (2003): Organic and Like-Minded Movements in Africa.
International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM),
Bonn, pp.102-108.
- IFOAM & FiBL (2006): The World of Organic Agriculture.
Statistics and Emerging Trends 2006. International Federation of
Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM), Bonn & Research
Institute of Organic Agriculture FiBL, Frick, pp. 27-35.