Event Brief: Transforming Cameroon’s Cassava Value-Chain for Industrialization

Executive Summary

---

Cameroon is one of Africa’s leading cassava producers, with an annual output estimated at approximately 5.34 million tons as of 2024 and potentially reaching 15 million tons according to sector experts. In spite of this strong production, the sector remains dominated by traditional, family-focused subsistence methods with minimal industrial integration and transformation. This brief, written after a CEPI working session, informed by a CEPI working session held on December 1, 2025, identifies critical bottlenecks—including a 40% post-harvest loss rate, fragmented markets, and a significant digital divide—that hinder the transition from subsistence to surplus. By implementing a dual-track strategy of institutional purchase systems and market-based digital incentives, Cameroon can reduce its import bill, boost employment, and transform cassava into a cornerstone of industrial growth.

---

I. Problem Statement: The Subsistence Trap

The Cameroonian cassava sector is currently characterized by high levels of production but low industrial efficiency. While production has shown a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 3.19% over the last five years, the value chain is plagued by systemic inefficiencies. Following a working session organised with the public, private, and non-governmental sectors in Cameroon, the participants summarised the challenges as follows;

1. Traditional Production and Scaling Disincentives: Production is largely family-focused and decentralized. As noted by Dr. Sali Bourou of the Institute for Research and Agricultural Development (IRAD), shifting climate patterns and a focus on subsistence mean farmers are not incentivized to scale for industrial demand.
2. Severe Post-Harvest Losses: Due to the crop’s short shelf life (typically 48 hours), up to 40% of cassava is lost during transport and handling. Smallholder farmers are often far from industrial zones, which accelerates spoilage.
3. Market Fragmentation and Information Asymmetry: The cassava market in Cameroon is characterized by high concentration (Gini coefficient of 0.76–0.79), indicating an oligopolistic structure where wholesalers hold disproportionate power over small-scale retailers and farmers.
4. The Digital and Infrastructure Divide: While e-commerce and coordination apps exist, they are poorly adapted to the local context; less than 50% of Cameroonian citizens have reliable internet access, making digital market-linking difficult in rural production zones.

---

II. Implications: Economic and Social Costs

Failure to industrialize the cassava value chain has profound implications for Cameroon’s national development goals:

• Food Insecurity and Economic Loss: With 40% of the harvest rotting before it reaches the market, billions of CFA francs in potential revenue vanish annually, directly impacting the livelihoods of over 20 million smallholder farmers across Africa, including millions in Cameroon.
• Import Dependency: Despite its production capacity, Cameroon continues to import processed derivatives (like starch and flour) that could be produced locally. The government aims to reduce the national import bill by 12% through local processing, but this target is unreachable without a structured value chain.
• Youth Marginalization: Traditional land tenure systems often favor elders, leaving youth (aged 15–35) as “farmhands” without secure land rights or management responsibilities. This prevents the infusion of energetic, tech-savvy labor into the agricultural sector.
• Low Industrial Competitiveness: Retailers are currently 14.2% efficient compared to wholesalers, leading to high consumer prices and low industrial raw material reliability.

---

III. Proposed Solutions: Pathways to Industrialization

To move from “fufu and flakes” to “starch and bioethanol,” a multi-stakeholder approach is required.

1. Implementation of a Centralized Institutional Purchase System

As proposed by Zogo Benoit (Farmer), Cameroon should adopt a centralized system of purchase similar to South Korea’s rice model.

• Mechanism: A government-backed or cooperative-led agency should act as a “buyer of last resort,” providing a guaranteed market and price for farmers.
• Impact: This provides the certainty required for smallholders to invest in high-yield varieties and scale their production without fearing market gluts.

2. Strategic Post-Harvest Management and Local Processing Units

To combat the 40% spoilage rate, the government must prioritize decentralized processing.

• Regional Units: Establish processing units within a 20km radius of major production zones to convert fresh tubers into stable forms like high-quality cassava flour (HQCF) or starch within 24 hours of harvest.
• Technology Adoption: Scale technologies such as the “CassVita” powder transformation, which extends shelf life from 2 days to 18 months, potentially increasing farmer income by 400%.

3. Incentivizing Rural Industrial Zones and Infrastructure

Ghislain Vorbain (Agro-entrepreneur)  and Henri Kouam (Founder of CEPI) suggest that market-based systems are more efficient when supported by physical infrastructure.

• Special Economic Zones (SEZs): Create tax incentives for local manufacturing (starch, glue, and textile fillers) along major rural-metropolitan corridors to reduce transport times.
• Digital Alternatives: To bridge the digital divide, use SMS-based alert systems (rather than heavy web apps) to synchronize cultivation and harvesting between farmers and processors.

4. Land Tenure Reform for Youth Integration

To modernize the sector, youth must transition from laborers to owners. Léandre Fotso Simo (CEO of ETS Alpha Leader Corporate) highlights that current land registration barriers prevent youth from owning more than 10 hectares.

• Co-management Models: Promote partnership models based on land leasing or co-management agreements between young landowners and investors.
• Productivity Gains: Secure land tenure for young farmers can increase agricultural productivity significantly, as it enables them to use land as collateral for credit to purchase fertilizers and machinery.

---

IV. Conclusion

Cameroon’s cassava sector is an untapped “gold mine” that can drive industrialization and economic security. By moving away from traditional subsistence and adopting institutional purchase systems, local processing, and youth-inclusive land policies, Cameroon can secure its food future and reduce its reliance on imports. Ousmane Daibou (Board Chair of AAEDC) emphasizes that rather than creating new incentives, the government should better market existing investment incentives to potential investors to shift from traditional foods to industrial products like bioethanol. Current initiatives that do not require businesses to pay taxes on wages to new employees below 35 or the suspension of import duties for agricultural equipment and inputs should be marketed better to entrepreneurs in the sector. The women and youth funds should target cassava farmers who operate formally and informally, but an emphasis should be made to help them transition to the formal sector

---

References

• Levai, L. D., et al. (2024). Challenges of Agricultural Cooperatives and Prospects to Improve the Cassava Value Chain in the South West Region of Cameroon. International Journal of Agricultural and Applied Sciences, 5(2), 37-43.
• Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems (2024). Structure and performance of cassava markets: challenges of food security and connecting small farmers to markets in Cameroon.
• International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (2025). Securing Land Rights for Young People and Their Role in a Win-Win Partnership Model for Agricultural Development: Issues and Perspectives for Northern Cameroon.
• Business in Cameroon (2025). Cameroon 2018-2025: Ambitious Agricultural Reforms Start to Deliver.
• ReportLinker (2024). Forecast: Cassava Production in Cameroon 2024-2028.
• Agriculture Council, Working Session, Cameroon Economic Policy Institute (CEPI), https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qHJabxZFUfY&pp=ygUTY2Fzc2F2YSBoZW5yaSBrb3VhbQ%3D%3D