Cameroon
Technical Support for Promoting Climate-Smart Agricultural Production System in Cameroon
Weather Impact works together with the Centre for Equity, Wellbeing and Development Studies (CEWDS) to provide technical support for promoting the use of Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) in Cameroon. The project aims to accomplish this by (1) identifying which regions in Cameroon are the most vulnerable to current and future climate risks and hazards, (2) which current CSA technologies are most promising to help mitigate this vulnerability, and (3) how the private sector and agricultural insurance can do their part in lowering the vulnerability of smallholder farmers to climate hazards. In the end, this study will aim to made a list of recommendations, for future climate adaptation initiatives in Cameroon and to support the mobilization of climate funds.
Working With National Organizations
A vital part of this project is to work together with the ministries of the government of Cameroon. Working together, this project will capitalize on their vast expertise in the Cameroonian context, previous studies and contacts with local farmers and other relevant stakeholders. This collaboration will allow us to develop context-appropriate recommendations, to build on existing efforts and to focus our work on the right crops and regions, and on the most pressing climate hazards. Stakeholder engagement has started right from the start of the project, with the kick-off event, which took place on the 4th of March 2025, and later bilateral meetings with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MINADER), the National Observatory on Climate Change (ONACC), the Institute of Agricultural Research for Development (IRAD) and the CGIAR’s Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation (TAAT) initiative. During the coming months we will continue to engage with these and other key stakeholders. Coverage of the event by the local news can be seen in the video below.
Video: Kick-off event coverage by CRTV Cameroon
Climate Risks
One of the biggest challenges of the agricultural sector in Cameroon is dealing with the increasing vulnerability to climate change and climate hazards. Especially the north of Cameroon is facing more and more climate hazards, such as droughts, floods, irregularity in rainy season and pests and diseases. Last year, a prolonged drought and intense floods put over 3 million Cameroonians in a situation of food insecurity. Mapping where the exact hotspots of these climate hazards are, and thus where climate adaptation measures should be focused, is essential in helping the most severely affected populations.
Climate Smart technologies
Many climate-smart technologies have already been developed for the agricultural sector. From drought resilient maize seeds to digital platforms for advice on when to plant certain crops and irrigation systems with minimal water loss. In this project we will evaluate the usefulness, appropriateness, opportunities and barriers of existing climate-smart agricultural innovations in Cameroon.
Insurance and private sector engagement
Resilience of smallholder farmers against climate hazards involves more than climate smart agriculture (CSA) solutions. In this project, we will also look into agricultural insurance schemes and private sector engagement as additional avenues to climate resilience. Particularly, we will investigate the current landscape and prospect of agricultural insurance in Cameroon, which could help increase the resilience of farmers to climatic hazards destroying their crops.
Lastly, the private sector can play a pivotal role in the implementation, sustainability and upscaling of CSA in Cameroon – through essential investments, innovative technologies and market linkages to create sustainable services. In this project we will engage private sector players to explore these avenues to ensure long-term adoption and scalability of CSA practices.
Fig 1. Kick off meeting
