Abstract
Urban growth, coupled with increasing vegetable demand, has led to the utilization of lowlands in Cameroon for agricultural production. This study investigates the factors influencing the farming practices and the prevalence of diseases in vegetable producers through a cross-sectional survey of 130 farmers. Using logistic regression models, we found a positive association between education level and farm size with the overall quantity of fertilizer, both organic and mineral, used. Pesticide usage was positively associated with the number of years a farm had been cultivated, but it was negatively associated with land ownership. However, the number of years that farms had been cultivated was negatively associated with mineral fertilizer applications. In general, the prevalence of waterborne diseases was linked to the education level, while malaria prevalence was linked to the gender of the farmers. The location of cultivated areas significantly influenced the likelihood of reporting malaria and headaches. Despite the associated health risks, vegetable production is necessary for farmers’ livelihoods in the lowlands of Yaoundé. Therefore, policymakers should provide measures to optimize the benefits of urban agriculture, including training in safe farming techniques to minimize the associated health risks.
Highlights
Yaoundé, the political capital of Cameroon and second largest city of the country, has been facing a rapid demographic growth after the economic crisis in the 1980s [1]
All sampled farmers responded to the questionnaire, i.e., the response rate was 100%
The predominance of women involved in urban agriculture in four out of the six studied areas runs counter the reports of Kenmogne et al [32] and Saidou and Pritchard [33], who observed stronger maledominated farmer communities in the Nkolbisson, Mokolo, and Nkolondom areas of Yaoundé, respectively
Summary
The political capital of Cameroon and second largest city of the country, has been facing a rapid demographic growth after the economic crisis in the 1980s [1]. The population in the city increased from 2.4 million [2] to about 4 million inhabitants [3]. This rapid population growth has led to high unemployment and high demand for food. The majority of the urban population disburses approximately 60–80% of their income to meet food needs [5,6]. Their food consumption remains insufficient in quality and quantity [7]. Urban dwellers are encouraged to adopt alternative livelihood strategies, such as urban agriculture to improve their income and nutrition [11]
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