CAMEROON PROJECT

Integrated Assessment of Trade-Related Policies and Biological Diversity in the Cocoa Sector

By Jean Pierre MVONDO AWONO Etienne ASSOUMOU EBO Amadou WASSOUNI Jean AMBASSA MVE

Geneva, 26-28 November 2007

OVERALL OBJECTIVE OF THE ASSESSMENT

▪ To assess the environmental, social and economic impacts of the liberalization of cocoa commercialisation by the law N ° 2004/025 of December 30, 2004, on biodiversity in the cocoa producing provinces in Cameroon.

▪ The main preoccupation is to understand how this law and other related policies affect biodiversity.

FOCUS OF THE PROJECT

The choice of the Cocoa sector is justified by: ▪ the geographical distribution in the country (400 000 ▪ ha distributed in 7 provinces out of 10) its importance as first export crop, contributing up to 11.42% of the total export returns ▪ the high number of people concerned (400 000 to 600 000 people (81% with no other profession) ▪ the income generated (up to 50 to 75% of the total budget of 90% of households) in the 80’s. Any improvement in the cocoa sector would result in beneficial effects in the struggle against poverty

CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK

▪ The law N ° 2004/025 of December 30, 2004, liberalized the trade of cocoa in Cameroon.

▪ This law also encouraged the expansion of cocoa plantation, together with the revalorization of prices paid to producers, and the existence of assets favourable to such expansion (land, labour, etc.) ▪ Expanding cocoa farms is mainly done at the expense of natural forests or by settings on lands exploited for other plants. These result in modifications in land use and impacts on biodiversity. ▪ The fragmentation of the habitat by atomization of plantations in the landscape is one of the factors affecting biodiversity.

CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK (cont.) Trade measure: Liberalisation of the cocoa sector (law N 2004)

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2004/ 025 of December 30, Agricultural activities Forest land clearing Pesticide use Other influences : 6th International cocoa agreement Structural adjustment New agricultural policy Cocoa production improvement project Intensity of land use Extensive land use Agricultural biodiversity Cocoa varieties Fruit crops Vegetable crops Medicinal plants Increased farmer’s revenues Ecosystem services Production Recreational Spiritual Educational Farmers’ income and food security Food availability Other aspects of human well-being: Adequate housing Kids’ education Health care Contribution to social events

CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK (cont.) Law of December 30, 2004 Other aspects of well being: - Infrastructures - Education - Health - Social obligations, etc Local and national Economy Non agricultural revenues Revenues from cocoa and other crops - Food security Legislation of Commercial activities Trade liberalisation Price to producers Commercial activities Other policies influencing cocoa production Assets : - Land - Expertise - Labour - Commercial Circuits, etc Other ecosystem functions and services Production of cocoa and other crops Ecosystem services Biodiversity within cocoa plantations Biodiversity out of cocoa plantations Increase of cocoa production Changes in land use Habitat fragmentation /atomisation of plantations in the landscape Expansion/ redensification

METHODOLOGY AND TOOLS

The point of departure for the analysis of impacts is at the onset of the liberalisation of the cocoa trade (80’s).

The main economic, social and environmental indicators used to assess the impacts include: price paid to producers, yields, income from cocoa sales and sales of other crops, contribution to local and national economies, number and types of jobs, rate and amount of forest land conversion, agricultural and non agricultural biodiversity, amount of pesticides use.

One of the scenarios examined was related to the implications of the production targets on forest land clearing and biodiversity (250 000 tons in 2015).

METHODOLOGY AND TOOLS (cont.)

▪ The study was based on the ecosystem approach (sustainable use of natural resources) and participatory approach (implication of all stakeholders). ▪ Literature reviews ▪ Assessment methods used were : - analysis of the chain of causality - scenario development - trend analysis. ▪ Tools for data acquisition included : - Interviews, - Talks - Group discussions - Field observations.

UPDATE OF ASSESSMENT PROCESS

Steps - Initial information gathering on:

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cocoa sector

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trade policies and

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regulations in the environmental sector - Identification of main stakeholders - Elaboration of conceptual framework - Field and resourceful persons visits - Data/information processing, analysis and discussion - Reporting

INTERIM RESULTS

- Cocoa producers income increase - Job offer to the rise - General improvement of living conditions - Structuring and regrouping of producers - Threat of unbalance in space management - Conversion and reduction of forest land - Contamination of the environment - Carbon liberation - Increased cocoa genetic diversity - Increased agricultural biodiversity - Decreased non agricultural biodiversity - Fragmentation of habitat - Threat of species disappearance

PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION UPDATE ▪

Project core team :

- Dr WASSOUNI (MINEP) - Dr ASSOUMOU EBO Etienne (MINEP) - Dr MVONDO AWONO Jean Pierre (CEDC) - Dr AMBASSA MVE Jean (Consultant).

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Main implementing partners:

- Ministry of Environment and Nature Protection (MINEP) - Centre for Environment and Development Studies in Cameroon (CEDC)

PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION UPDATE

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Composition of the NSC Representatives of:

- Ministries: MINCOMMERCE MINADER - SODECAO - UNDP - CICC - University of Dschang NGO’s - Cooperatives Unions - World Bank - IUCN

PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION UPDATE

▪ Role of the NSC: - to guide the development and the setting of the project - to identify the main problems and interests of the project - to give instructions on the results waited of the project - to follow up and to appreciate the realization of the project in order to amend it if necessary - to debate on activities

PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION UPDATE (cont) ▪ Workshops:

Launching : Capacity building : March 06, 2007. March 06 and 07, 2007 ▪ These workshops enabled participants to have: - a better understanding of the links between trade and biodiversity - an understanding of the stages involved in the integrated assessment process - a better knowledge of the methodologies of integrated assessment studies - an effective knowledge of the different trade agreements on agriculture and cacao sector

PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION UPDATE (cont) ▪ Major activities for the next 6 months:

- Mid term project evaluation - Continuation of the integrated assessment study - Country report - Steering committee meeting - Elaboration of policy response

MAJOR ACHIEVEMENTS

- Setting up the steering committee - Two meetings of the steering committee - Workshop to launch project - Workshop for capacity building - Development of the chronogram of activities - Assessment study - Assessment and technical reports - Study report in progress

MAIN CHALLENGES

▪ The multiplicity of measures and policies with potential impacts on biodiversity. Sorting among these is challenging ▪ Participants not having the same understanding of the process. The process being new to most actors, it needs time and practice to be more effective. ▪ Functional and organizational difficulties related to people belonging to different organisations and scattered geographically. ▪ In spite of all these constraints, the project evolves successfully as demonstrated by achievements.