Community Livelihood and Agricultural Techniques in Peri-Urban Farming in Cameroon

Abstract

Agriculture is the bedrock of Cameroon’s economy as it contributes significantly to food, income and employment. However, the country’s agriculture is confronted by a myriad of challenges which include inter-alia issues of land tenure, inadequate finance, weak market information system and use of simple technology. The unprecedented growth in Cameroon’s urban population has given rise to peri-urban agriculture. Using survey data of 150 randomly sampled farmers, we assess the socio-economic contributions of peri-urban farming to livelihoods and the constraints faced by farmers in study area, at the periphery of Buea in the South West Region of Cameroon. The study identified some of the agricultural techniques being practiced to include slash and burn, shifting cultivation, crop rotation, farming without ridges, monoculture, and livestock farming. The commonest crops and livestock are tubers, grains, horticultural products, oil palm, poultry, goats and pigs. We found that peri-urban agriculture contributes significantly to household food security and nutrition, income, and employment of farmers. These findings have important policy implications for urban food security and nutrition, and sustainable development.

Keywords: Cameroon, Peri-urban farming, Agricultural techniques, Community livelihood