Mount Bamboutos Landscape: Counting The Dividends Of European Union’s Funding

“Results of three years of European Union co-funding to the tune of 663,000 Euros (about 434.8 million FCFA) of the Mount Bamboutos landscape in Cameroon’s West Region are generally positive,” commented Nadege Nzoyem, Rainforest Alliance Cameroon Country Director. She spoke on July 25, 2023 in Yaounde at a workshop to evaluate the dividends of the European Union’s co-financing of the “Strengthening the economic and social rights of women through engagement in community-based and environmentally-sustainable landscape management” Women In COBALAM project. 

Several Funding Partners  
“Since November 2020 when the project was launched, and jointly financed by the European Union, the United Nations Environment Programme and the Global Environment Facility, we have succeeded in raising the level of women’s participation in Community-based Organisations on Mount Bamboutos from about 40 per cent to about 60 per cent,” Nadege said.

Overshot Target 
According to her, one main target of the project was to support about 250 women engaged in the production of agricultural and Non-timber forestry products. And also to support women-led small enterprises. “We have overshot the target by assisting more Community-based Organisations (producers and small enterprises). We supported five women-led enterprises… We now have 33 per cent female representation in Council Landscape Management Committees that were set up for the project. In order to improve women’s participation in decision-making concerning land restoration and conservation on Mount Bamboutos,” she disclosed. 

Other Project Dividends 
“We strengthened five small-scale enterprises managed by women; with at least 50 per cent of women in decision-making positions. This, to improve their product quality and quantity, processing and distribution. We now have small enterprises producing quality pear oil which is beautifully packaged after extraction with the appropriate machinery. Unlike in the past when everything was done manually,” Nzoyem added.  
The project also trained several bee farming groups which today produce pure, natural honey. “Bees are important for nature protection and agricultural activities,” Nadege stressed. Adding that beneficiary producers now use less pesticides after receiving training in the production of organic manure. As Irish potato producers acknowledge the high and natural quality of their produce now.

Rendering Account 
“It is important to render account, understand what went well, congratulate ourselves on the efforts made, and reflect on the lessons learnt. And on how to strengthen the economic and social rights of women by strengthening their engagement in council landscape management committees on Mount Bamboutos,” said Claudia Antonelli. The Third Secretary for “Cooperation-Equipe Environnement et Agriculture” represented the Delegation of the European Union in the Republic of Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea at the event. 

Lessons Learnt 
“We now know better after three and half years of the project. It is our sincere wish that the experience and process will continue to be deepened, pursued and expanded with other partners. We are willing to learn from the project’s lessons in order to continue to do more and better in promoting the place of women in decision-making processes and in the support of female entrepreneurship. Soon we will be gone past the first quarter of the 21st Century and there is no question of going back on this,” Claudia Antonelli stressed. “This is why the European Union has committed to ensure that at least 85 per cent of funded activities take into consideration equality between women and men as the main objective,” she explained.  

EU Action Plan Areas 
According to Claudia, the three main areas of the European Union’s gender action plan in Cameroon are to fight violence, harmful practices and discrimination based on gender; promote the economic and social rights and guarantee the autonomy of girls and women, including in the green and circular economy. And to promote citizenship and leadership participation by women to prevent and resolve conflicts. 

Landscape Approach 
The European Union is equally involved in funding activities that help in adapting to climate change and promote climate change-resilient growth. The landscape approach is the heart of the EU’s main programmes in northern Cameroon (Green and Resilient North) and in a forthcoming programme, South Southeast Landscape, Antonelli revealed. 
The approach highlights issues of economic development, conservation and governance. “The place of women must be supported. We are grateful to Rainforest Alliance Cameroon, SAPED, ACREST, grassroots organisations and Common Initiative Groups which helped in producing concrete results,” Claudia Antonelli noted. 

Land Use Conflict               
“Women In COBALAM is about sustainable landscape management. The West Region is densely populated and when you talk conservatio...