In Cameroon, the agricultural sector represents 22.5% of the GDP and employs more than 61% of the labour force. Despite a higher growth rate of agricultural GDP than the population, the sector faces many challenges relating to production, marketing and macro-level risks. The PARM Process made it possible for the Government of Cameroon to;
In 2017, PARM RAS identified crop pest and disease attack, post-harvest losses and price variability as the key priority risks facing the agricultural sector growth in Cameroon. Other risks such as drought and political insecurity are severe but only peculiar to the northern regions.
PARM collaborated with partners and consulted diverse stakeholders to identify the right tools to address the most pressing risks. Stakeholders agreed on a Modernized Information System Connected to Warrantage Network. A feasibility study had already been finalised to present a proposal for investment into the identified ARM tool.
In June 2016, PARM organised a capacity building (CD1) seminar to raise awareness on agricultural risk and prepare stakeholder for robust risk assessments and prioritization exercises.
A significant outcome of the PARM Process in Cameroon is the Government’s pledge to mainstream the identified ARM tool Access to Information System Connected to Warrantage Network into the NAIP and the Sector Development Strategy document Rural (SDSR). All this is possible thanks to close collaboration between the Government of Cameroon, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MINADER), PARM, NEPAD and other strategic partners.
In February 2015, the PARM team met the Cameroon delegation headed by the Ministry of Agriculture at IFAD Headquarters in Rome during the 38th IFAD’s Governing Council. The team presented the PARM process and its complementarities with the on-going agricultural value chain study funded by the Agence Française de Développement (AFD).
By March 2015, the team organized its first mission to Cameroon. The mission was also an opportunity to meet stakeholders and identify synergies for the PARM Process. The Ministry nominated the Cameroon CAADP Focal Person as a lead representative for the PARM Process.
In November 2015, PARM collaborated with the CAADP Country Focal Point to develop a roadmap for the PARM process and to facilitate the integration of ARM into agricultural and rural development policies in Cameroon. The roadmap was approved by the Minister of Agriculture.
PARM held another meeting with the Cameroon delegation headed by the Ministry of Agriculture (MINADER) at the IFAD Headquarters in Rome during the 39th IFAD Governing Council in February 2016. The meeting aimed at reaffirming the engagement of the Government of Cameroon in the PARM Process.
In May 2016, a Terms of Reference (TOR) for Risk Assessment Study (RAS) was developed and discussed with NEPAD and the Government of Cameroon. Afterwards, a call for proposal was launched to identify consultant/institution to carry out the study.
By October 2016, the IRAM contracted to undertake the study in collaboration with local experts.
The first Capacity Development (CD1) Seminar was held on 15-16 June 2016, in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture and NEPAD. It aimed at introducing the national stakeholders to the holistic approach to ARM, PARM’s methodology for assessing risks, as well as an overview of ARM tools.
After the completion of the RAS, a National Stakeholder Workshop was held on 7 December 2016 in Yaoundé to present and discuss the preliminary findings in the report and identify the priority risks and potential ARM tools. PARM published the study in April 2017, following official validation from the Government.
PARM its partners identified Access to Information connected to Warehouse Systems as a key tool to manage the prioritized agricultural risks in Cameroon. A feasibility study of this tool was conducted from September to December 2017.
On the 7th of December 2017, PARM and its partners held a high-level workshop to disseminate the results of the feasibility study and present the investment plan for the ARM tool. The workshop also aimed at bringing stakeholders together to discussions commitments to integrate the ARM tool into the country’s policy framework.
The findings from the feasibility study were finalised and validated in December 2017. The full report was later published in the PARM Library.
After the long journey of the PARM process in Cameroon, a final report was compiled in June 2018, documenting the overall processes, activities, and achievements in engaging with the Government, local institutions and development partners to mainstream ARM components into the National Agricultural Investment Plan (PNIA).
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