Post on 08-Jan-2017
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
3
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
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
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 - -
11
Food security
Education (esp. of women)
Poverty
Health care
Water and sanitation
Gender equality/women empowerment
Enabling environment
12
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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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
18
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
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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