Abstract
Description of the subject. To boost the development of the national palm oil sector, one of the most promising moves for the Cameroonian government would be to improve partnerships between agro-industries and smallholders in order to increase the latter’s plantation yields and oil extraction rates. Objectives. Drawing on successful experiences in Southeast Asia, this paper examines the conditions for establishing a win-win partnership between agro-industrial companies and smallholders in the Cameroonian palm oil sector. Method. The study was carried out in three production basins in the Centre and the Southwest regions of Cameroon where such partnerships were initiated before the collapse of the National Aid Fund for Rural Development (FONADER) in the 1970s. In participatory workshops involving at least twelve stakeholders (palm oil producers, artisanal and industrial millers, intermediaries and agricultural extension services), the participants' knowledge was integrated together through individual and collective reflection, with a guarantee of equal expression and consideration of views. Two workshops followed a strict adaptation of Participatory Prospective Analysis (PPA); a third followed a semi-directed participatory approach. Interactions between participants produced definitions of the systems studied and the variables involved, different plausible future scenarios, and recommendations for decision making. Results. Access to technical and managerial capacity building, terms of the contract, access to shareholding in the company by smallholders, and legalization of the terms of the contract emerged as the major items that would influence a sustainable partnership between agro-industries and smallholders. Conclusions. Participatory derived recommendations show that long-term partnerships between agro-industry and smallholders depend on a negotiated contract agreement between the partners to ensure transparency and trust. In addition, a dedicated smallholder department in charge of village plantations within agro-industrial companies can facilitate communication between partners.
Highlights
Oil palm (Elaeis guineensis) is native to the countries bordering the Gulf of Guinea where natural palm groves can still be found (Maley, 1999)
Malaysia and Indonesia progressively took over the lead and currently cover 85% of global palm oil production
The expansion of perennial crops from the 1980s to 2000 brought companies into association with smallholders based on a model known as, “Nucleus Estate and Smallholder” (NES), where an industrial plantation is associated with peripheral smallholders’ plantations under contract (Levang, 1997)
Summary
Oil palm (Elaeis guineensis) is native to the countries bordering the Gulf of Guinea where natural palm groves can still be found (Maley, 1999). During the second half of the 19th century, palm oil and kernels became a major export item for West and Central African farmers. From the beginning of the 20th century, the colonial powers started to develop industrial oil palm plantations in both Central Africa and Southeast Asia (Rival & Levang, 2013). Until the 1960s, West African countries were the major palm oil producers, and Nigeria ranked first with 43% of the world’s production (Olagunju, 2008). Today, these countries are no longer self-sufficient in palm oil and increasingly resort to imports from Southeast Asia. The success of Southeast Asia has been attributed mostly to effective policies based on both public-private industrial-smallholder partnerships and the creation of industrial estates (Rival & Levang, 2013). The expansion of perennial crops from the 1980s to 2000 brought companies into association with smallholders based on a model known as, “Nucleus Estate and Smallholder” (NES), where an industrial plantation (estate) is associated with peripheral smallholders’ plantations (plasma) under contract (Levang, 1997)
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