Taking Stock of Local Land Rush and Their Development Benefits for Women Farmers and Rural Livelihoods in Cameroon

Abstract

Land is a major resource for rural women who are largely dependent on agriculture as a major source of livelihood. The rise in large scale land acquisition by local investors has made land scarcer, affecting the livelihoods of women and the rural population. Because the poor and women are less likely to own land independently, they are more vulnerable and become landless with limited livelihood options and bear disproportionate costs of land deals. The study intends through the use of a survey, interviews and focus group discussions, to investigate the effects of local large scale land deals on women’s livelihoods in North Western Cameroon and how this affects household food security in these communities. Drawing on empirical evidence from the study, women who are mainly responsible for subsistence food crop production, have very limited access to and ownership rights to land. While local investors promise employment opportunities and local development in rural areas, women are also particularly deprived of farmland, which is a major source of livelihood and household subsistence. Thus, local land acquisition fails to trickle down to social and infrastructural development and is more likely to restrict women’s ability to meet the basic food needs of their households.