Sustainable Tree Crops Program - Cameroon
Project Dates: Pilot Phase 2003-2006, Phase II 2007-2011
Country: Cameroon
Funders: US Agency for International Development, World Cocoa Foundation and global cocoa industry, US Department of Agriculture, Cocoa Buffer Fund of the Dutch Ministry of Agriculture
Implementers: International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (manager, production, marketing, policy), SOCODEVI (cooperative development), ISCOM (sustainable enterprise and chain management)
Overview
The “Tree Crop Production, Marketing and Livelihoods Project” focuses on the development of mechanisms for marketing and trade, processing of products, and productivity, as well as the building of institutional capacity. The project is active in the Center and South West Regions. The UpCocoa project focuses on increasing the capacity of cocoa farmers and their organizations to create professional, sustainable cocoa businesses. UpCocoa will initially work with 8 cooperatives with a total of 1,600 farmers in the Center Region.
Program objectives:
- To increase rural income in an environmentally and socially responsible manner
- To promote policy, marketing, processing and production of two tree crops - cocoa and oil palm
- To promote the production and marketing of cocoa and oil palm by-products and associated products such as plantain and non-timber forest products
- To develop farmer organizations’ capacity as agribusinesses and agricultural enterprises
- To develop local institutional capacity to provide production and marketing support services
Progress to Date:
- 5,586 farmers trained through Farmer Field Schools. Farmers receive training through the participatory Farmer Field School approach which covers topics related to integrated crop and pest management as well as quality improvement. To date, a total of 312 facilitators representing the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MINADER), 12 farmer cooperatives and two cocoa-related organizations completed training. An additional 12,393 farmers benefited indirectly through farmer-to-farmer dissemination of information.
- Sustainable farmer cooperative-led seedling production & distribution system developed. Experts from the National Agricultural Research Institute for Development (IRAD) provide technical supervision while STCP facilitates, leads data collection, and provides basic nursery materials such as improved cocoa pods, pre-germinated oil palm nuts and propagator units for banana/plantain. Cooperative technicians and individuals were trained in management of cocoa nurseries (94 people), oil palm nurseries (70 people) and banana/plantain propagation (103 people). Additionally, 9 cooperatives set up oil palm processing, 2 set up mushroom production, 6 set up banana seed funds and 4 linked to oil palm and banana plantain national promoting programs.
- 10 local NGOs and public structures increased capacity of 12 cooperatives. SOCODEVI’s pilot project trained 10 local non-governmental organizations and public entities to assist farmers in developing cooperatives. 12 cooperatives have quality control centers with 10 also having mini quality labs. 8 cooperatives are linked to a market information system to receive price information by SMS. FIFFA, a microcredit institution, provided a total of $400,000 in loans to cooperatives and their members.
- Research highlights. STCP, IRAD and the National Forestry Agency (ANAFOR) are studying a farmer-developed cocoa agroforest model with 625 cocoa trees per hectare and 100 associated trees in Center Province. Biological control candidates against black pod disease were isolated with small scale participatory field trials showing preliminary results of a 30-50% decrease in disease levels. Larger scale trials are now underway. Four farmer field research plots were established to demonstrate intercropping of cocoa with food crops, fruit trees and forest trees.
Success Story: Increasing Yields, Reducing Pesticides
Success Story: Sharing the Secrets of Success