Cameroon is promoting cassava as a substitute for wheat to reduce imports and expand opportunities under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). Authorities are focusing on cassava-based flour to improve food security and strengthen women-led cooperatives in processing and trade.
The Ministry of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises, Social Economy and Handicrafts (MINPMEESA) is developing agro-industrial hubs in the main cassava production regions. These hubs will provide farmland, seed multiplication fields, small processing units, and training for women's groups. The government has announced up to 20 hubs, though only a few are operating. A pilot site in Mbangassina, in the Centre region, has land allocated to women's cooperatives, and construction of a processing unit is underway.
Cameroon imports around 800,000 tonnes of wheat annually. Business in Cameroon reported that in 2023, the bill was CFA 178 billion (US$288 million). Cassava, widely cultivated across the country, could be a lower-cost alternative. Officials say blending cassava flour into bread and pastries at up to 15 percent could reduce imports and support local farmers.
The government projects that each cassava hub could employ hundreds of women directly, with additional jobs created through logistics and trade. Overall, more than 10,000 jobs could be generated.
Challenges remain. Cassava flour quality varies, affecting bakery use, while large-scale processing and storage infrastructure are limited. Financing for hub development also poses difficulties. Cameroon's earlier cassava substitution policies showed mixed outcomes, suggesting that technical, market, and consumer issues must be addressed together.
Other African countries have tested similar approaches. Nigeria has long promoted 10–20 percent cassava flour inclusion in bread, but adoption has been uneven due to quality and cost factors. Cameroon aims to connect cassava production with AfCFTA markets if quality standards and competitiveness can be ensured.
Women-led cooperatives are central to Cameroon's strategy, which combines social and industrial goals. The potential for cassava to ease wheat dependence and open new trade opportunities will depend on the success of scaling, quality control, and financing.
Source: Business in Cameroon