Small-holder farmers' access and rights to land: the case of Njombé in the littoral region of Cameroon
- Amos Gyau (World Agroforestry Centre, Kenya)
- Awah Ngum Faith (World Agroforestry Centre, Cameroon)
- Divine Fondjem-Tita (World Agroforestry Centre, Cameroon)
- Nji Ajaga (The University of Dschang, Cameroon)
- Deliah Catacutan (World Agroforestry Centre, Vietnam)
Abstract
In Cameroon, agriculture constitutes the main livelihood for a large portion of the population. Against this background, land tenure security is of crucial importance for agricultural production and off-farm activities. This article aims to foster understanding of small-holder farmers’ access to land in the Njombé-Penja district of Cameroon. Data was collected using focus group discussions with small-holders, key informant interviews, eld observations and formal surveys. Results indicate that the current land tenure situation often limits small-holder farmers’ access to productive land. This often results in conflicts between various actors including plantation agriculture, rural elites and research institutions, and hence threatens small-holders’ security for food and livelihoods. We conclude that there is a need to revisit existing policies for land allocation to multinational companies in order to protect small-holder producers’ rights and security, and to harmonize the various tenure systems as a means to avoid competing claims among various actors.
Key words: land tenure, small holder, rights, access
How to Cite:
Gyau, A. & Faith, A. & Fondjem-Tita, D. & Ajaga, N. & Catacutan, D., (2017) “Small-holder farmers' access and rights to land: the case of Njombé in the littoral region of Cameroon”, Afrika Focus 27(3). doi: https://doi.org/10.21825/af.v27i3.4905
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