In the face of escalating climate threats to Cameroon’s agriculture, a recent study under the AGRICA project offers substantive insights for cost-effective decision-making. Led by the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) and conducted in cooperation with the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH on behalf of the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), the study seeks to provide the base for risk-informed and economically sound adaptation decisions for the agricultural sector in Cameroon. For that purpose, three adaptation strategies for local farmers have been evaluated:

• Improved varieties,
• Integrated soil fertility management (ISFM), and
• Agroforestry

As part of the extensive climate risk analysis conducted by PIK scientists and using multiple criteria, our team analyzed the cost-effectiveness of all three adaptation strategies. With the means of cost-benefit-analyses, we confirmed their economic viability. However, each strategy not only brings economic benefits but also holds potential for reducing specific risks resulting from climate change as well as providing additional economic, environmental, and social advantages.

Specifically, ISFM is highly recommended for its yield boosting effect with positive impact on both smallholder farmers’ productivity and the environment alike. Also improved seeds are a livelihood boost due their higher heat tolerance and thus better adaptability to the changing climate. Here, however, access and affordability present farmers with a challenge that is often not easy to overcome. Agroforestry’s ability to mitigate climate risks on cocoa production does not only lead to potentially higher yields but can also create additional income streams for farmers. However, specifically female farmers and other disadvantaged social groups require support for the initial investment that most adaptation strategies demand in the first few years.

For an in-depth exploration, we invite you to read the final report, “Climate risk analysis for adaptation planning in Cameroon’s agricultural sector”, alongside a related policy brief. The documents offer a foundation for informed decision-making and strategic investments at the international, national and local level.

On top, the AGRICA study has been presented and discussed during a side event of the COP28. You can watch the streaming in French language here: COP28 – Day 4 – Impacts du Changement Climatique sur le Secteur Agricole Camerounais – YouTube.

More information on the AGRICA project framework can be accessed at the AGRICA project website. If you are interested in exploring additional cost-benefit analyses conducted within the scope of the AGRICA project over the past years in Uganda, Zambia, Niger, Burkina Faso and Ethiopia, feel free to visit our HFFA Research project website.