Production of palm oil in Cameroon is distributed across three plantation types or scales: The Government of Cameroon’s Rural Sector Development Plan proposes an increase in palm oil production to 300,000 tons in 2015 and 450,000 tons in 2020.
Can Cameroon develop a sustainable palm oil industry?
We are working to demonstrate that Cameroon, one of the most biodiverse countries in Africa and a new frontier for oil palm expansion, can develop a sustainable palm oil industry, avoiding negative environmental impacts.
How many oil palm plantations are there in Cameroon?
In Cameroon, oil palm plantations cover more than 170,000 ha of national land, including 70,000 ha of industrial plantations and 100,000 ha of village plantations.
What drives oil palm expansion in Cameroon?
Third, oil palm expansion in Cameroon is predominantly driven by non-industrial producers and coordinated around a burgeoning informal milling sector ( Ordway et al., 2019 ). Cameroon can thus be looked upon as a major region of growth when it comes to oil palm production and expansion in Africa.