24/04/2026
*How Poor Agricultural Practices Are Reshaping Cameroon’s Climate and Environment*
Cameroon is often called “Africa in miniature” because it has coastline, desert, savanna, mountains, and rainforest. That diversity makes agriculture the backbone of the economy, with about 70% of Cameroonians relying on farming. But when farming methods are unsustainable, the impact shows up quickly in both local ecosystems and the global climate picture.
1. Deforestation and carbon release
*Slash-and-burn expansion*: To clear land for cocoa, oil palm, maize, and subsistence plots, forests are cut and burned. The South and East regions, home to part of the Congo Basin rainforest, are hit hardest.
- *Climate impact*: Forests store huge amounts of carbon. When burned, that carbon becomes CO2 in days. Cameroon lost 1.84 million hectares of tree cover from 2001 to 2023, releasing ∼1.03 Gt of CO2.
- *Environment impact*: Loss of canopy raises local temperatures, disrupts rainfall patterns, and destroys habitat for species like forest elephants and gorillas.
2. Soil degradation and desertification
*Problem practices*: Monocropping, farming on steep slopes without terracing, overgrazing in the North and Far North, and short fallow periods.
- *Climate impact*: Degraded soil holds less organic carbon. It also reflects more heat and stores less water, which amplifies drought. The Sahelian zone of Cameroon is already seeing desertification creep south.
- *Environment impact*: Topsoil washes away during heavy rains, silting up rivers like the Benue and Sanaga. Yields drop, pushing farmers to clear more forest.
3. Water pollution and loss
*Chemical misuse*: Poor storage and over-application of pesticides and synthetic fertilizers in tomato, plantain, and cotton farms.
- *Climate impact*: Nitrogen fertilizers release nitrous oxide, a greenhouse gas 300x stronger than CO2.
- *Environment impact*: Runoff contaminates streams and Lake Chad Basin tributaries. This kills fish, harms biodiversity, and makes water unsafe for communities. Unregulated irrigation from rivers also reduces dry-season flow.
4. Biodiversity loss
*Habitat fragmentation*: Expanding farmland cuts wildlife corridors between protected areas like Korup National Park and Dja Reserve.
- *Climate link*: Biodiverse ecosystems are more resilient to climate shocks. Losing them means Cameroon’s landscapes can’t buffer floods, droughts, or pests as well.
- *Environment impact*: Pollinators and natural pest predators disappear. Farmers then use more chemicals, creating a vicious cycle.
5. Increased vulnerability to climate change
Poor practices don’t just contribute to climate change. They also make Cameroon less able to cope with it.
- *Flooding*: Bare, compacted soil can’t absorb heavy rains, leading to floods in the Littoral and Southwest regions.
- *Drought*: Deforested watersheds recharge less groundwater, worsening dry spells in the Adamawa and North.
- *Food insecurity*: Unpredictable seasons + degraded land = lower, less reliable harvests.
What’s being done, and what helps
1. *Agroforestry*: Integrating cocoa or coffee with shade trees like _Albizia_ keeps carbon in the ground and improves soil.
2. *Conservation agriculture*: Minimum tillage, crop rotation, and cover crops are being promoted by IRAD and GIZ in the Centre and West regions.
3. *Terracing and contour farming*: Key in the Western Highlands to stop erosion.
4. *Integrated pest management*: Reduces chemical runoff while protecting yields.
5. *Land use planning*: The government’s 2035 Vision includes zoning to separate high-value forests from agricultural expansion.
*Bottom line*: Poor agricultural activities in Cameroon act as both a driver and amplifier of climate and environmental problems. The cycle is clear. Degraded land produces less, so more land is cleared. That releases carbon, heats the region, and damages water and soil, which makes future farming even harder.
Breaking that cycle means shifting to practices that keep soil covered, trees on the landscape, and inputs precise. The stakes are high because Cameroon’s forests are part of the planet’s second-largest carbon sink after the Amazon.
