Dynamique adaptative de diversification des cultures et recomposition des paysages ruraux à Santchou (Ouest-Cameroun)

Au Cameroun, la libéralisation intervenue dans la filière café-cacao au début des années 1990 s’est accompagnée d’une paupérisation croissante des producteurs. Ces derniers ont adopté des stratégies d’adaptation diverses. Dans un contexte de crise caféière au Cameroun, le présent article vise à évaluer les stratégies paysannes de diversification des cultures de rente et leurs impacts dans la recomposition des paysages ruraux. Des enquêtes ont été menées auprès de 400 producteursrépartis dans les trois bassins de production de Santchou. Les résultats montrent que depuis la libéralisation des filières agricoles et la crise caféière qui a suivi, les producteurs dans leurs stratégies de survie ont diversifié les cultures de rente dans leurs exploitations familiales. Même si la caféiculture reste dominante, il faut relever que les cultures du cacao et du palmier à huile jadis rare connaissent une croissance fulgurante. Avec la saturation foncière, les cacaoyers et les palmiers sont non seulement insérés entre les lignes mais aussi, remplacent les plants de caféiers morts. Il en résulte une recomposition, voire une restructuration des paysages ruraux avec le développement des systèmes agroforestiers de multicultures caféierscacaoyers-palmiers. Pour la durabilité de ces nouveaux systèmes un accompagnement adapté de ces changements endogènes est nécessaire. In Cameroon, the liberalization that occurred in the coffee-cocoa sector in the early 1990s came alone with an increasing impoverishment of producers who had to develop adaptation strategies to survive. In the context of the coffee crisis in Cameroon, this article aims at assessing farmers' cash crops diversification strategies and their impacts on the recomposition of rural landscapes. Surveys were conducted with 400 farmers in the three Santchou production basins. The results show that since the agricultural commodity chains liberalization and the coffee crisis that followed, farmers have diversified their cash crops strategies on their family farms. Although coffee culture still dominates, cocoa and oil palm farming, which were once rare, are experiencing an explosive growth. With land saturation, not only are cocoa and palm trees planted between the rows, they are also, replacing dead coffee trees. As a result, we observe a recomposition, or even a restructuring of rural landscapes with the development of agroforestry systems of multiple cropping (that is coffee, cocoa and palms trees). In order to assure the sustainability of these new systems, an appropriate support of these endogenous changes is essential

Déterminants institutionnels et organisationnels de la certification du cacao au Cameroun : cas du système de certification UTZ dans la région du Centre

La culture du cacao représente une activité prépondérante dans l'économie et la société camerounaise. L'accroissement des préoccupations environnementales, et l'engagement des agro-industries européennes à n'acheter que du cacao durable d'ici 2020, conduisent à considérer le développement du cacao certifié depuis 2010. Cependant, le cacao certifié ne représente que 3% de la production nationale de cacao. L'objectif de cette étude est d'identifier les déterminants institutionnels du développement de cette innovation. L'étude met en lumière la nécessité pour les producteurs d'adhérer aux organisations paysannes, pour prendre part aux activités de certification. En outre, l'insuffisance d'information, l'égalité de prix entre cacao certifié et cacao ordinaire, l'augmentation de la pénibilité du travail, sont autant de facteurs qui freinent le développement de la certification. Néanmoins, les bonnes pratiques agricoles déjà mises en place par certains producteurs (sans lien avec la certification), les nouvelles exigences du marché mondial sont des opportunités qui pourraient favoriser le développement de la certification au Cameroun. (Résumé d'auteur

A comparative cost-benefit analysis between fairtrade certified and non-certified cocoa production in the South-West region of Cameroon

In order to promote cocoa agroforestry by encouraging cocoa farmers to integrate fruit trees inside their cocoa orchards, cocoa certification was initially launched since 2012 in Cameroon. Nowadays, cocoa certification is adopted by a few farmers and makes up only 3% of the national cocoa production. Using the most predominant Fairtrade certification in the South-West region, this study compared certified and non-certified cocoa production via a cost-benefit analysis. The results indicated that, in spite of its supplementary cost expenses (wages to hired workers, agrochemical expenses, transportation charges to cooperatives), certified cocoa production led to higher profit, net present value, internal rate of return, benefit-cost ratio greater than one and shorter pay-back period. For the certified farms, a scenario assuming no certification was analysed and its results testified that the young trees planted during cocoa certification further contributed to raise the farm profit. Overall, the profitability of cocoa agroforest was the highest if the farmer was certified, because of his/her premium earned, training received and adhesion to cooperatives where most group problems were solved. The study therefore recommended farmers to join cooperatives and regularly attend training programmes to learn more friendly environmental practices. In view of this, the government should increase cocoa premium or tie it with payments for full environmental benefits, including rewards for carbon sequestration and biodiversity conservation. The Fairtrade certification bodies should attract reticent farmers to certification by convincing them on the necessity to remove the old fruit trees and replace them with new species, which were more productive to raise their income.

Stakeholders' perceptions on sustainability transition pathways of the cocoa value chain towards improved livelihood of small-scale farming households in Cameroon

Given the persistent poor livelihood of cocoa-farming households, future climate predictions and the worldwide demand pressure for higher cocoa quality and productivity, there is still a strong need to find new approaches that guarantee a sustainable cocoa future in cocoa-producing countries amongst which Cameroon is one of them. This exploratory research investigates potential future pathways for the cocoa sector in Cameroon by mapping the perceptions of actors involved in the socio-technical regime. Qualitative expert interviews, structured questionnaires and field observation, as well as a focus group discussion have been applied to understand how a sustainability transition can be triggered. The study shows that actors envisage a sustainability change which determines their actions; however, their perceptions towards future transitions are not actively coordinated. Actors are not finding a way of adopting new organizational structures and letting a transition occur effectively, like in the case of certification standards. An alignment of perceptions and activities, and a stronger cooperation between the private and public are strongly recommended. The study encourages to consider a coordination of actors' perceptions towards future scenarios as a starting point to study sustainability transitions

Stakeholders' perceptions on sustainability transition pathways of the cocoa value chain towards improved livelihood of small-scale farming households in Cameroon

Given the persistent poor livelihood of cocoa-farming households, future climate predictions and the worldwide demand pressure for higher cocoa quality and productivity, there is still a strong need to find new approaches that guarantee a sustainable cocoa future in cocoa-producing countries amongst which Cameroon is one of them. This exploratory research investigates potential future pathways for the cocoa sector in Cameroon by mapping the perceptions of actors involved in the socio-technical regime. Qualitative expert interviews, structured questionnaires and field observation, as well as a focus group discussion have been applied to understand how a sustainability transition can be triggered. The study shows that actors envisage a sustainability change which determines their actions; however, their perceptions towards future transitions are not actively coordinated. Actors are not finding a way of adopting new organizational structures and letting a transition occur effectively, like in the case of certification standards. An alignment of perceptions and activities, and a stronger cooperation between the private and public are strongly recommended. The study encourages to consider a coordination of actors' perceptions towards future scenarios as a starting point to study sustainability transitions