CAMEROON AGRICULTURE-

NUTRITION NEXUS: ACTORS AND

KEY INTERVENTION AREAS

BY

FLORENCE FONTEH ANYANGWE

ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR

THE UNIVERSITY OF DSCHANG, CAMEROON

Yaounde, 8th December 20161

Introduction: justification, objectives, methodology

State of nutrition security in Cameroon

Determinants of nutrition status in Cameroon

Stakeholder identification, clusters & linkages

Some success stories

Some key entry points

2

FNS is of special significance for the ACP region

Without adequate nutrition it will be difficult to attain

the sustainable development goals (SDGs)

A mutual relationship exists between agriculture (food

supply) and nutrition and the benefits/casualties are bi-

directional.

However, insufficient attention has been paid towards

improving the agriculture and nutrition nexus

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Malnutrition does not simply arise just from poor access to food, but also from a host of interacting processes (health care, education, sanitation and hygiene, access to resources, women’s empowerment etc) which are indispensable to the AN nexus

Furthermore, a combination of several options (enabling env, research, SH cooperation, capacity bldg, etc) contribute to strengthening the AN nexus and in achieving the desirable FNS outcomes

The effectiveness of roles played by these options vary tremendously between countries and regions

4

To highlight some indicators of nutritional status and food security in Cameroon

To identify stakeholders, clusters and their interactions

To identify key areas of intervention

5

Desk top review

Interviews with key stakeholders

Stakeholders’ consultation workshops

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7Figure 1: Map of Cameroon, showing administrative Regions

Population : 22.3 million

Surface area: 475,650 km2

Pop growth rate : 2.5 %

GDP/capita : 1426 USD

Life expectancy : 55 years

HDI : 0.505

Some indicators of nutritional status

and food security in Cameroon

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Indicator Prevalence

Very high (>35 %) High (30 –

35 %)

Moderately

high

(15 – 29 %)

Low

(less than

10 %)

Undernou

rishment

Sudan, Central

African Republic,

Democratic Republic

of Congo, Somalia

Chad, Mali,

Cote

d’Ivoire,

Ethiopia,

Zambia

Cameroon,

Kenya,

Nigeria

Ghana

Stunting Sudan, Central

African Republic,

Democratic Republic

of Congo, Somalia,

Congo

Cameroon,

Nigeria,

Chad, Mali,

Cote d’Iv,

Malawi,

Zambia

Gabon,

Tanzania,

Uganda,

Namibia,

Ghana,

Zimbabwe

9

13.6

22.2

18.1

14.6

24.4

29.3

31.732.5

3

65 5.6

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

1991 1998 2004 2011

% Underweight

% growth retardation

% Emaciation

10Figure 2. Evolution of malnutrition in Cameroon

Micronutrient Children (1 -

5 yrs)

Women (15 –

49 yrs)

Zinc 69.1 76.9

Folate 8.4 16.6

Vitamin B12 28.1 28.6

Vitamin A 35 21.4

Iron - -

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Food security

Education (esp. of women)

Poverty

Health care

Water and sanitation

Gender equality/women empowerment

Enabling environment

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Indicator Prevalence source

% living below poverty line 39.9% NIS, 2012

Life expectancy 55.1 yrs UNPD,

2013

Infant mortality 61/1000 UNPD,

2013

Access to improved drinking water 59.8% NIS, 2012

Use of improved sanitation facilities 52.4% NIS, 2012

Gender inequality index 0.622 UNPD,

2014

Females in secondary school 45.8% NIS, 2014

Govt expenditure on health 5.2% of GDP UNPD,

2014

Govt expenditure on education 3.2% of GDP UNPD,

201413

Only 20% arable land is cultivated

53% of nat. pop. live in rural areas, where > 50% live

below national poverty line

Low productivity, high food exportation to CEMAC,

high influx of refugees, result to high food prices

Strategies used: eat cheap (72%); eat less (45%);

reduce # meals (33%)

10% of rural households live in persistent food

insecurity

Severe food insecurity: FN= 4.1%; N= 3.7%, W= 3.3%

Food insecurity is recurrent in FN & N Regions14

The adoption of a National Policy on Food and Nutrition in the year 2006;

The creation of an inter-ministerial commission on food security in 2010;

The admission of Cameroon into the SUN movement in 2013;

The creation of an inter-ministerial commission to combat malnutrition in the three northern regions and the East region in 2014;

The adoption in 2014 of a national policy on gender -2011-2020;

The elaboration of a national policy on food and nutrition (NPFN) – 2015-2034 in 2015.

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Identification of stakeholders, clusters and

interactions

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SH collaboration is essential to achieve common objectives17

Cluster StakeholdersPolicy makers MINSANTE, MINADER, MINEPIA, MINFI, MINRESI

MINPROFF, MINATD, MINEE, MINT, MINCOM

MINESUP, MINSEC, MINEDUB, MINPMEESA, MINCUL, MINTEL, MINAS

Research and training MINRESI, MINESUP, MINEDUB, MINSEC

UN system UNICEF, FAO, WFP, WHO, UNDP, UNHCR, UN Women

NGOs International: HKI, Plan Int., Counterpart Int, French Red Cross,

CARE, SNV, NEPAD

National: WHINCONET, Action for Development, PROPAC

Business world (Food

processors)

Oil processors (Diamaor, Mayor, Palm’or, Mula palm); Salt processors

(Sasel, Ngwang); Flour processors (SCTM, Grand moulins, La Pasta);

SNEC; Water bottling companies (Tangui, Supermont, Semme,

Madiba, Sano)

Farmer’s /Women’s groups CAMNAFAW, OFSAD, MBOSCUDA

Consumer syndicates COSADER, ACDIC, COMINSUD, CAMORIF

Donors AFD, M/S Dell foundation, Bill Gates foundation, WB, USAID, DFATD,

Sight for life, GEF, CERF, Japanese embassy fund, Belgian

government, ADB, EU

Mass media CRTV, Cameroon Tribune, The Post, The Messenger, The Herald,

Research/

Education

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Business

world

Farmer/

women

groups

NGOs

Donors

Consumer

syndicates

Mass

media

UN-

system

Policy

makers

Low influence-High importance

MINPROFF, CAMNAFAW, OFSAD,

COSADER, ACDIC, COMINSUD,

Action pour le Developpement,

PROPAC, MBOSCUDA, UN

Women, UNDP

High influence-High importance

MINSANTE, MINADER, MINEPIA,

MINESUP, MINSEC, MINEDUB, MINAS,

UNICEF, FAO, WHO, WFP, WB, AFD,

ADB, M/S Dell foundation, Bill Gates

foundation,

USAID, DFATD, Sight for life, GEF,

CERF, Japanese embassy fund,

Belgian government

Counterpart international, French

Red cross, HKI, CARE, UNHCR, EU,

NEPAD

Low influence-low importance

SNV, Plan international,

MINCUL, MINCOM

High influence-low importance

MINFI, MINATD, MINEE, MINT, Food

processors, CRTV, Cameroon Tribune,

The Post, The Messenger, The Herald,

Canal 2 International, Equinox 19

Vitamin A supplementation

Iodine supplementation

Micro minerals supplementation

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Some key entry points (for intervention)

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Valorize indigenous foods: evaluate their

nutritive values.

Evaluate post harvest losses of major food

commodities for both crop and animal foods.

Analyze the value chain of major foods from

farm to fork

Establish standards and evaluate safety of

locally produced and imported foods.

Creation and updating of data bases (regional

and national levels).

Make use of existing grey research data

(transform research into practice). 22

Formal nutrition education: Introduce relevant nutritional components in all educational programs and at all levels

Informal education: education of the population on cultural practices and culinary techniques; recruit and assign adequately trained nutritionists to health centers, hospitals, councils, districts, etc.

Sensitization: use mass media communication tools

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Creation of an autonomous national office on food and nutrition (more visibility and autonomy)

Evaluate the cost of malnutrition in monetary terms (demonstrates the cost of inaction).

Identify nutrition champions or goodwill ambassadors (e.g. sports or music stars)

Encourage the creation of and support food and nutrition advocacy groups.

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