Forest 4 Farmers

Wildlife Conservation and Food Security in NW-Cameroon

Introduction

Cameroon's forest covers an area of around 22,523,732 hectares, which represents around 48% of the national territory. Most of this forest is in the Northwest Region with a population of approximately 2 million, of which 70% of the adult population are farmers.

Traditionally, the communities are dedicated to small-scale agriculture, growing plantain, cassava, bananas, cocoa, sugar cane, among other crops. Over time, some infrastructure and subsistence activities of the Chomba community have increased, fragmenting the natural forest, habitat of a great variety of wild species such as gorillas, generating conflicts and a great threat to their survival.

Current situation

In recent years, the population and unsustainable agricultural activities have increased in the Chomba region, causing loss of natural forest, generating changes in weather patterns such as droughts and/or extreme rains causing plant diseases, soil degradation, low yields, food shortages and poverty.

These changing conditions endanger not only the local communities' source of income and food supply, but are a serious threat to rural communities and their traditional culture. Many farmers abandon their farms in the vicinity of the towns and migrate to the protected forest areas to establish new fields and crops. This brings changes in daily life, weakening family cohesion and making it difficult for children to access school, for example, since they have to walk long distances.

On the other hand, the destruction of the natural forest is generating fragmentation and loss of the mountain gorilla's habitat, threatening its survival.

How can we contribute?

You can support a solution for adaptation and mitigation of Climate Change in the community of Chomba, NW Cameroon, with the improvement of sustainable and organic food practices that contribute to the well-being of local communities and the conservation of the tropical forest and gorilla habitat.

With your donation, you contribute to:

1. Raising awareness and training 100 farmers in the community in techniques for food sovereignty crops and climate change (crop management and nutrition, livestock reconversion and agroforestry, among others).

2. Implement an effective training of trainers approach within 3 new demonstration farms that will be managed by at least 10 empowered women.

3. Afforestation and reforestation by planting at least 5,000 trees in the Northwest region, including 2,000 Prunus Africana trees, 1,000 non-timber trees, and 2,000 timber trees.

Social impacts:

- Safety in the production of healthy and organic food for the supply of the community.

- Capacity building and training in sustainable agroecological practices.

Economic impact:

- Contributions to the family economy through the possible sale of food products, while the production of non timber forest products is being consolidated.

Environmental impacts:

- Recovery of degraded areas through the planting of native plants by 2024.

- Generation of adaptation capacities of rural communities in the face of climate change.

- Protection and conservation of the critically endangered cross river gorilla

- Carbon fixation in wood, contribution to the stabilization of climatic and soil conditions.

Collaborating team

- Local environmental NGO CEPOW, a team that has started to establish a tree nursery and train farmers. In the coming years, an information and training center will be built to spread knowledge and raise awareness about sustainable land use among 100 farmers in the region, with a focus on women, children and youth.

- ANESCo: https://www.anesco-global.net/