Support to sustainable agricultural intensification and agro-ecological transition in Cameroon

Context

As the world's 5th largest cocoa producer and a major coffee grower, Cameroon is firmly committed to the production of sustainable cocoa and to supporting its producers in complying with the requirements of the European regulation on deforestation-free products (EUDR).

Cameroon's 700,000 coffee and cocoa producers, the majority of whom are smallholders, face major challenges in complying with the EUDR. For example, geolocation transparency requirements are a challenge for smallholders, putting them at a disadvantage compared to larger farms.  

To support small-scale producers in their agro-ecological coffee and cocoa production, Cameroon has developed a unique funding tool, the Development Fund for the Cocoa and Coffee Sectors (in French ‘Fonds de Développement des Filières Café et Cacao’, or FODECC).  

FODECC already manages a direct funding mechanism for cocoa and coffee producers called the "Guichet Producteurs". Funded in the amount of 12 million euros/year by national resources through a levy on cocoa and coffee exports, FODECC has enabled the geolocation of plots and the opening of accounts for the 130,000 small-scale producers in Cameroon who benefit from subsidies for the sustainable intensification of their production.  

The establishment of this system has received support from the European Union as part of the 2023 sector reform contracts. The Cameroon government's objective is to scale up the scheme to support all 700,000 Cameroonian households dependent on these 2 export sectors to Europe, and ultimately to support the 2.7 million Cameroonian households dependent on agriculture in their transition to deforestation-free agroecological practices.  

Moe information on FODECC on the FODECC You Tube channel