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Man and ecosystems are highly threatened by the abusive application of chemical fertilizers in a bid to enhance soil fertility and improve crop productivity. These chemical fertilizers pose serious health risks to farmers and the population at large and contribute to short and long-term soil degradation. Thus, this study was initiated to examine how agroforestry can contribute towards phasing out chemical fertilizers application in smallholder farms in the south west region of Cameroon. Data collection was done from secondary and primary sources and analyzed using inferential and descriptive statistics. Microsoft Excel 2013 and SPSS version 17 were used to run the descriptive and inferential statistics. It was found that silvopastoral, agrosilvopastoral and agrosilvicultural systems were the most dominant agroforestry systems, with different agroforestry practices like coffee-based agroforestry plantations, cut and carry fodder, home gardens, trees/shrubs on farmlands, cocoa-based agroforestry plantations, live fences, improved fallows and home gardens with livestock characterizing these three agroforestry systems. These agroforestry systems provided different ecosystem services to agroforestry practitioners with the most common being food, fuelwood, finance/income, and climate moderation. Besides food and soil fertility enhancement, very limited or no chemical fertilizer was used to obtain the other ecosystem services. There was an inverse relationship (p

Confronted with climate change, farmers are increasingly resorting to sustainable agricultural practices like agroforestry as an adaptation measure to the adverse effects of climate change. In this perspective, this study assessed different agroforestry systems and the components there in, as well as the factors affecting farmers’ choice of agroforestry systems as adaptation measures to climate change in Cameroon. Mainly primary data were collected through household and field surveys. The factors affecting smallholder farmers’ choice of agroforestry systems faced with climate change were analysed using the multinomial logistic regression model. Findings revealed that the agroforestry systems practiced by farmers as adaptation measures to climate change were agrosilvicultural system (43.71%), silvipastoral agroforestry system (11.43%) and agrosilvipastoral system (24.28%). Three main components, namely crops, trees/shrubs and livestock, were integrated in these agroforestry systems by small-scale farmers to enhance adaptation when confronted with climate change adversities. The multinomial logistic regression model revealed the existence of a cause–effect relationship (p

Soil macro-fauna play an important role in soil fertility improvement in different agricultural systems. However, limited research has been done to assess the role played by soil macro-fauna to soil fertility enhancement in cocoa-based agroforestry systems. This study was therefore initiated to fill this knowledge void. A mixed research approach was used during data collection, and data analysis was done using descriptive and analytical statistics. Findings showed that the main indicators of soil fertility perceived by cocoa farmers in cocoa-based agroforestry systems were cocoa yield (100%), soil colour (90%) and presence of soil macro-organisms (80%). Cocoa farmers identified earth worms (100%), ants (100%), termites (70%), millipedes (50%), and centipedes (50%) as the main soil macro-fauna found in cocoa-based agroforestry systems. With respect to the contribution of soil macro-fauna to soil fertility improvement, cocoa farmers perceived that earth worms, ants, and termites (62, 47.7, 57.6, and 52.4, respectively) contributed highly to soil fertility improvement in cocoa-based agroforestry systems while crickets, woodlice, snails and slugs were perceived by cocoa farmers (61.7, 60, 45.6, and 58.9%, respectively) to contribute only averagely to soil fertility improvement in cocoa-based agroforestry systems. Through correlation and regression analysis, it was found that the main soil macro-fauna contributing significantly (p

The abusive use of toxic agricultural chemicals (insecticides, fungicides and herbicides in particular) by farmers has attracted a lot of attention from environmentalists, scientists and policy makers. The use of these toxic agricultural chemicals not only contributes to environmental deterioration but equally poses major health risks to farmers and the general public. It is therefore incumbent on policy makers to take measures geared towards limiting the use of toxic agricultural chemicals. Some of these measures could be the vulgarization of agro-ecological farming practices like agroforestry. It is in this light that this study comparatively examined the use of toxic agricultural chemicals by agroforestry practicing and non-agroforestry practicing farmers in a bid to identify the most sustainable and viable option. Both primary and secondary data were collected for the study, and analysis was done using the statistical software Microsoft Excel 20007 and SPSS 17.0. It was found that the main crops grown by agroforestry practicing farmers were food and cash crops while non-agroforestry practicing farmers cultivated mainly market gardening crops and to some extent, food crops. Toxic agricultural chemicals (mainly fungicides, herbicides and insecticides) were used in large quantities and frequently by a majority (over 50%) of non-agroforestry practicing farmers, while less than 40% of agroforestry practicing farmers used toxic agricultural chemicals, mostly in small quantities and less frequently. A significant direct non-cause-effect and cause-effect relationship (p

Over half of the world’s population depends on smallholder farms for their daily food needs. However, high levels of vulnerability and low levels of resilience to the adverse effects of climatic variations and changes constitute major threats to smallholder farms and farmers. It is within this context that this paper assessed the levels of resilience of smallholder farmers as well as the factors affecting smallholder farmers’ resilience to climate change in north western Cameroon. A mixed research approach was adopted during data collection, and data analysis was done using descriptive and inferential statistics. It was found that climate extremes were the order of the day, and farmers perceived income level, practice of agroforestry and land accessibility as the main determinants of resilience. The main resilience option practiced by most smallholder farmers was agroforestry. Chi-square and t-test statistics showed the existence of a statistically significant difference (p

Soil macro-fauna diversity and abundance greatly influence soil fertility. However, little has been done to confirm this hypothesis in cocoa-based agroforestry systems. It was in this light that this research work was undertaken in order to fill the knowledge gap. Through the use of a mixed research method for data collection and appropriate data analysis procedures, findings showed that diverse soil macro-fauna were identified by cocoa farmers in cocoa-based agroforestry systems with the main being earth worms (100%), ants (100%), termites (70%), millipedes (50%), centipedes (50%), and snails (60%). Most cocoa farmers perceived that soil macro-fauna diversity in cocoa-based agroforestry systems was high (58.3%) and very high (17%) respectively. Earth worms, ants, millipedes, centipedes, spiders, harvestmen and scorpions were perceived by most cocoa farmers (44%, 38.3%, 43.3%, 41.3%, 55.6%, 53.3% and 48% respectively) to have a high level of abundance in cocoa-based agroforestry systems. A statistically significant direct non-causal and causal relationship (p

Continuous and excessive use of inorganic fertilizers by farmers across the world is causing more harm than good to croplands. This is because most of these inorganic fertilizers are toxic, which in essence defeats the very purpose for which they are produced. This paper sought to comparatively assess the use of inorganic fertilizer among agroforestry and non-agroforestry practicing farmers in south west Cameroon. Data was collected from both primary and secondary sources, and analyzed using appropriate descriptive and inferential statistics. Findings revealed that, more non-agroforestry practicing farmers were using inorganic fertilizer, in large quantities, and frequently, when compared to their agroforestry practicing counterparts. From logistic regression predictions, it was found that, variables such as level of education, cultivation of cash crops, number of farms, farm size, age, and farm experience had an inverse causal relationship (p

The application of agrochemicals in agroforestry systems in general and cocoa-based agroforestry systems in particular is unprecedented as agroforestry systems are considered as environmentally benign, agro-ecological and sustainable agricultural systems. It was within this context that this study was undertaken to examine the determinants of cocoa farmers’ use of agrochemical in cocoa-based agroforestry systems. Through a mixed research approach, and data analysis using appropriate descriptive and inferential statistical tools, it was found that the main types of herbicides used by cocoa farmers in cocoa-based agroforestry systems are Paraquat (50%) and Glyphosate (40%). For fungicides, the main types used were Mancozeb (70%), Maneb (65%), Ridomil (60%), Caocobre (50%), and Nordox (40%). For insecticides, the main types used were Methyl (65%), Imidacloprid (60%), Endosulfan (50%), Cypermethrin (50%), and Fenobucarp (40%). The most common pests and diseases affecting cocoa perceived by cocoa farmers in cocoa-based agroforestry systems were Black pod – Phytophtora spp (100%), Capsid/Mirids – Distantiella theobroma and Sahlbergella singularis (100%), Cocoa Swollen Shoot Virus Disease – CSSVD (60%), Witches’ broom – Crinipellis perniciosa (50%) and Vascular streak dieback (40%). Most cocoa farmers perceived that the use of all three agrochemicals (herbicides, fungicides, and insecticides) in cocoa-based agroforestry systems have negative socio-economic and environmental impacts. From Spearman rank correlation and logistic regression coefficients, it was noticed that the main explanatory variables having a statistically significant direct non-cause-effect and cause-effect relationship (p

Soil fertility decline has pushed farmers across the world to resort to chemical fertilizers in order to improve soil fertility and enhance crop yields. In agroforestry systems, the application of chemical fertilizers is a call for concern considering that agroforestry systems are supposedly agro-ecological, environmentally friendly and sustainable systems. It was within this context that this study sought to assess the application of chemical fertilizers in cocoa-based agroforestry systems and its policy ramifications. Data was collected through a household survey of 300 cocoa farmers in Cameroon, and analyzed on SPSS 17.0 employing descriptive and analytical techniques. It was found that the most commonly used chemical fertilizers by cocoa farmers in cocoa-based agroforestry systems were NPK 20:10:10 (60%), NPK 15:20:15 (50%), and Urea (40%). It was also noticed that a majority of the cocoa farmers sampled used no chemical fertilizer (35%), very small quantity (15%), small quantity (20%), and moderate quantity (20%). With respect to frequency of use, most cocoa farmers never used chemical fertilizer (35%), used it rarely (30%), or used it occasionally (15%). However, some cocoa farmers used chemical fertilizers frequently (5%) and very frequently (5%) in their cocoa agroforests. Coefficients of correlation and regression showed the existence of a statistically significant (p

Soil fertility decline is a reality across the globe. Soil infertility has led to falling crop yields for both food and cash crops precipitating both poverty and food insecurity. Poor agricultural practices have often been blamed for declining levels of soil fertility. It was within this framework that this study was carried out to assess soil fertility levels in cocoa-based agroforestry systems in the Littoral region of Cameroon. Through the use of a mixed research approach and descriptive and inferential statistical analysis it was found that the most perceived indicators of soil fertility by cocoa farmers in cocoa-based agroforestry systems were cocoa yields (100%), soil colour (90%), indicator plant species (75%), presence of soil macro-organisms (80%), indicator weed species (65%), growth rate/vigour of the cocoa plant (70%), and level of compaction of the soil (50%). Chi-square test statistic (X2 = 15.92, p

Tree diversity and abundance within an agroforestry system plays a crucial role in the provision of different ecosystem services. It was within this framework that this study sought to examine the contribution of tree diversity and abundance to soil fertility in cocoa-based agroforestry systems. A mixed research approach was adopted during data collection and data analysis was done through the use of descriptive and inferential statistical tools. From the findings of the study, it was revealed that most cocoa farmers perceive tree diversity in cocoa-based agroforestry systems to be between average (50%), high (15%) and very high (20%), while tree abundance was between average (40%), and low (30%). The main types of tree species integrated by cocoa farmers in cocoa-based agroforestry systems were fruit trees (100%), fuelwood trees (70%), trees for shade (52.7%) and trees for building materials (40%). A statistically significant direct relationship (p

Faced with the adverse effects of climate variability and change (CVC), agro-ecological farming practices like agroforestry are crucial especially for smallholder farmers who are extremely vulnerable. It was within this context that this study appraised smallholder farmers’ agroforestry practices faced with climate change adversities. Biophysical and socio-economic data were collected from ten villages in Cameroon. Findings showed that climate parameters have experienced significant fluctuations in the past five decades. Smallholder farmers practice several agroforestry practices and integrate a plethora of tree/shrub species on agroforestry plots in order to adapt to climate change. Six main types of agroforestry trees/shrub species (trees/shrubs used for fuelwood, fruits, building materials, fodder, soil improvement, medicines) were integrated by smallholder farmers within agroforestry plots. T test and Chi-square test statistics indicated a strong non-causal relationship between explanatory variables (institutional and socio-economic attributes) and smallholder farmers’ agroforestry practicing decision faced with CVC. Logistic regression showed that a strong positive causal relationship exists between four explanatory variables (age of household head, access to information, access to credit and degree of vulnerability) and smallholder farmers’ agroforestry practicing decision faced with CVC. The study therefore recommends that institutional and socio-economic factors (credit facilities and reliable information) fostering smallholder farmers’ practice of agroforestry faced with CVC should be provided by governmental and non-governmental agencies in order to enhance the odds of smallholder farmers practicing agroforestry faced with the adverse effects of CVC.

Farmer–grazier conflicts are a major cause of the stagnated development experienced in rural, peri-urban, and suburban areas across Africa and the developing world, as these conflicts often lead to the loss of crops, livestock, and even human lives, precipitating untold misery and excruciating poverty. In Cameroon where this study was undertaken, the situation is simply pathetic as farmer–grazier conflicts occur regularly, especially during the dry season when herders move livestock (especially cattle, sheep and horses) from hills to the valleys (transhumance), in search of pasture, destroying farmers’ crops in the process. It is within this framework that this study sought to look at the contribution of agroforestry practices to farmer–grazier conflict mitigation. Data collection methods for the study were household surveys, key informant interviews and direct observations. Data analysis was done through descriptive and inferential statistics, using two main statistical analyses software: Microsoft Excel 2007 and SPSS 20. Findings revealed that the main cause of farmer–grazier conflicts was limited arable and grazing land (100%), with the main consequences being loss of human lives and crops/livestock (100%). The main agroforestry practices of farmers were home gardens with animals (52%), trees on croplands (60%) and live fences/hedges (52%) while graziers’ agroforestry practices were home gardens with animals (73%), trees on grazing lands (60%) and live fences/hedges (53%). Agroforestry was found to provide many socio-economic and ecosystem benefits to both farmers and graziers like food, fuelwood, fodder, building materials and shade which make farmers and graziers less interdependent. Correlation analysis revealed a strong inverse relationship between the practice of agroforestry and farmer–grazier conflicts (p

Ecotourism has been reported as a sustainable measure of bridging conservation goals and livelihood sustenance around protected areas, with very little information on the Campo Ma’an National Park (CMNP). This study was initiated to assess the impact of ecotourism activities on the livelihood of the local population living around the CMNP. Data were collected with questionnaires through household surveys and focus group discussions, interviews with key informants and observations in 9 communities. Chi-square test, Spearman’s rank correlation and regressions were used for data analysis. The study revealed that 65% of the local population perceived that ecotourism activities do not contribute to livelihood improvement. Chi-square statistics and Spearman rank correlation coefficients showed that the main factors plausibly affecting the impact of ecotourism activities around the CMNP on the local population’s livelihood were community, gender, main and secondary occupation, level of education, ethnic group, and number of children. Coefficients of the logistic regression model indicated that the main factors influencing the impact of ecotourism around the CMNP on the local population’s livelihood were gender (β = 1.218; p

The adverse impacts of climate variability and change are felt mostly by smallholder farmers and smallholder farming systems where rainfed agriculture is predominant. Continuous dependence on rain-fed agriculture has led to declining crop productivity and crop failure in most cases as weather patterns shift which is very problematic for crop growth. Agroforestry which is one of the climate-smart, environmentally benign and agroecological practices has been found to mitigate climate change adversities while fostering adaptation, enhancing resilience and attenuating vulnerability especially in smallholder farming systems. However, in Cameroon, limited empirical research has been done to ascertain the role played by agroforestry in climate change adaptation, resilience enhancement and vulnerability attenuation. This paper which is based on an in-depth review of literature was undertaken to uncover what has been done so far in terms of empirical studies tackling the role played by agroforestry in climate change adaptation, resilience and vulnerability attenuation in Cameroon. It was found that most of the empirical studies have been carried out in one agroecological zone – the western highlands of Cameroon, showing that smallholder farmers adopt different agroforestry practices in the face of climate change with the most common being home gardens with livestock, home gardens without livestock, scattered trees on croplands, improved fallows, live fences/hedges and windbreaks, coffeebased agroforestry, cocoa-based agroforestry, apiculture-based agroforestry, fodder banks, and plantation crop-based agroforestry practices. These agroforestry practices provide a plethora of ecosystem services categorized into provisioning, supporting, regulating and cultural which play an important role towards fostering climate change adaptation, enhancing resilience and attenuating vulnerability in smallholder farming systems. From the findings uncovered by this study, it is imperative for more empirical studies to be carried out in the other four agroecological zones of Cameroon where there is a paucity of information regarding the role played by agroforestry towards fostering climate change adaptation, enhancing resilience and attenuating vulnerability in smallholder farming systems.

Background: Rattan is an important Non-Timber Forest Product (NTFP) with huge potentials to boost socio-economic development in indigenous communities of Cameroon in particular and the entire country in general. Exploitation is from the wild, with no implication of stakeholders in renewing the resource, thus leading to resources scarcity. Insufficient knowledge on rattan’s growth potentials in Cameroon jeopardize resource regeneration and renewal. It was in this context that this study was initiated to (i) determine economically important rattan species distribution; (ii) identify their habitats and conservation status; (iii) examine harvester’s perceptions/observations on annual growth rate and age to maturity. Results: It was found that Eremospatha macrocarpa exist in all AEZs, Calamus deerratus was found in AEZ 2 & 5, Laccosperma Secundiflorum, L. Robustum, was found in AEZ 3, 4 and 5 and Eremospatha wendlandiana was found only in AEZ4. They grow in diverse habitat/environments with some habitats/environments specifically suitable for some rattan species. The current conservation status of commercial rattan species identified shows Least Concern (LC); but resource scarcity in high. Most harvesters observed that rattan takes either 2 – 3 years (51%) or 4 – 5 years (35%) to attain maturity. The harvesters’ observation on annual growth rate of economic rattan species varied in relation to the species and AEZs, nevertheless, globally 25% and 23% of the respondents observed a growth rate of 2-3 m and 3-4 m respectively. Kruskal-Wallis test shows a significant variation in harvesters’ perception in the different AEZs for all growth and maturity parameters of different rattan species (p0.05)”.Conclusions: All five economically important rattan species are highly distributed in the Southern zone of Cameroon. The availability of E. macrocarpa in all zones indicates its great adaption. Renewing (plantations) rattan resource implies appropriate planting in the Southern and Coastal regions of Cameroon, since the all the species inhabit and grow rapidly. This is important to policymakers and development planners for policy reformulation towards the sustainable development of rattan in Cameroon.

Agricultural productivity depends largely on the fertility of the soil. However, in recent years, soil infertility has been the trend across the world driven mainly by climate change and poor agricultural practices. In sub-Saharan Africa in general and Cameroon in particular, soil infertility is a major stumbling block to the growth of the agricultural sector. It was within this backdrop that this study was carried out to ascertain the role that agroforestry can play towards enhancing soil fertility in agricultural systems in south western Cameroon. Both biophysical and socio-economic data were collected and analyzed using Excel 2013 and SPSS 17.0 through descriptive and inferential statistics. Findings showed that the main constraints to crop productivity were inaccessibility to improved planting materials (100%) and little or no control of stress factors like soil infertility (100%). Farmers made use of different types of agrochemicals with the most common being insecticides and fungicides. Three main agroforestry systems namely agrosilvicultural (93%), agrosilvopastoral (70%) and silvopastoral (31%) systems were practiced by farmers. The most common indicators of soil infertility identified by farmers were decline in crop yields (100%), rotting of tubers (100%) and wilting of crop stems (100%). The most common practices used to counter soil infertility were agro-chemicals, fowl droppings, improved planting seeds, erosion controlled farming, horizontal bunds or ridges on steep terrain, and agroforestry. The main impacts of soil infertility on farmers were difficulties in feeding, difficulties attending to social needs of children and the family, and financial difficulties. Farmers’ vulnerability to the adverse effects of soil infertility were exacerbated by high prices of inputs, low prices of farm produce, poor seeds/planting materials and bad roads. Live fences and scattered trees on croplands were the two most common agroforestry practices of farmers confronted with soil infertility. Analysis of different soil parameters (N, P, K and others) showed that scattered trees on croplands contributed more towards improving soil fertility which could be attributed to the diverse nature of the tree species found in the system and the dispersed nature of the trees on the entire farmland. Based on these findings, we recommend that more farmers adopt the practice of scattered trees on croplands in order to improve the fertility of their farmlands. Policy makers should also put in place favourable policies which encourage the practice of agroforestry.

Fighting climate change and its nefarious effects is at the forefront of the United Nations’ SDGs, agenda 2030. This comes at a time when the global climate is changing rapidly owing to increasing concentration of carbon dioxide (CO2) and other greenhouse gases (GHGs) in the atmosphere resulting principally from fossil fuel combustion and agricultural lands taking the place of tropical forests. Climate change threatens human existence in general and the livelihood of smallholder farmers in particular in the 21st century. Research shows that the developing world has about 500 million small-scale farms, with almost two billion people implicated, a majority of them in Asia and sub-Saharan Africa where small-scale farms produce about 80% of the food consumed. Hence, smallholder farmers will bear the greatest brunt of predicted changes in climatic patterns owing to their limited adaptive capacity. Small-scale farmers being appallingly vulnerable, easily succumb to climate-induced extreme weather events, thus threatening food security. It is therefore within this backdrop that the necessity to document and promote climate-smart, sustainable, productive and low cost agricultural practices becomes incumbent. Agroforestry is one of the few existing practices that contribute simultaneously to agricultural sustainability enhancement as well as improved farm productivity owing to its ability to provide many ecosystem services. There are currently very few existing agricultural practices where sustainable agricultural goals can be attained through simultaneous enhancement of agro-ecosystem diversity and farm productivity as in agroforestry systems. Today, few studies have looked into the contribution of agroforestry to beefing up agricultural sustainability and productivity in the context of climate change. This review paper therefore sought to research on what has been done so far as well as look into the way forward with focus on sub-Saharan Africa. Key words: Climate change, agroforestry practices, agricultural sustainability, agricultural productivity, sub-Saharan Africa

Climate change is a major challenge for the agricultural sector worldwide. Smallholder farmers are particularly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change owing to their high dependence on agriculture for livelihood sustenance. Building smallholder farmers’ livelihood resilience to the adverse effects of environmental change is critical to addressing their vulnerabilities. This paper comparatively assessed livelihood resilience of smallholder farmers in Isiolo County, Kenya and Northwestern Cameroon in the face of environmental changes. The results are based on household surveys of 339 farmers in Kenya and 350 farmers in Cameroon. Findings showed that using the same measures of livelihood resilience, farmers’ resilience were significantly different in the Kenyan and Cameroonian study areas (p

Crop productivity depends almost entirely on the fertility of the soil. This in turn influences food security at the household level. Thus, for crop productivity to be high and ensure food security, the level of soil fertility needs to increase. However, poor agricultural practices and other phenomena such as soil erosion have led to soil infertility across Cameroon. This necessitates that more sustainable agricultural practices should be identified and vulgarized. In this light, this study was initiated to evaluate the role of different agroforestry systems (a sustainable agricultural practice), in enhancing soil fertility in order to propose an appropriate practice to farmers as a sustainable option for soil fertility improvement. The study was carried out in Mbelenka, south west region of Cameroon. Data was collected through household surveys, key informant interviews, focus group discussions, and direct field observations. Findings revealed that, three main agroforestry systems (agrosilvopastoral, silvopastoral, and agrisilvicultural systems) were dominant characterized by several practices, components, and functions. Most farmers (52%) perceived the soils to be less fertile, and the agrosilvopastoral system was perceived by most farmers (57%) to be characterized by the highest level of soil fertility. Most farmers (53%) equally perceived that, the agrosilvopastoral system was the most effective in enhancing soil fertility. Correlation and regression analysis showed the existence of a statistically significant (p

Small-scale farmers’ limited adaptive capacity confronted with the adversities of climate change is a major call for concern considering that small-scale farms feed over half of the world’s population. In this light, small-scale farmers’ adaptive choices and adaptive capacity to climate change were assessed. Data were collected from primary and secondary sources using a mixed research approach. Findings revealed that extreme weather events have been recurrent and small-scale farmers perceived access to land, household income, and the planting of trees/shrubs on farms (agroforestry) as the main factors influencing their capacity to adapt to climate change. Agroforestry and monoculture practices were the main adaptive choices of small-scale farmers confronted with climate change. T-test and chi-square test statistics revealed a strong non-cause-effect relationship (p p

Ecotourism is gaining traction as a veritable approach to biodiversity conservation and livelihood sustenance in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). The success of this approach rests in part, on the governance architecture of most states in SSA. However, empirical evidence on this subject is fragmented. This shades possibilities to frame conceptual and methodological questions to advance ecotourism governance literature. This study undertakes a review of the literature on ecotourism governance in SSA, using the PROFOR governance assessment framework as analytical lens. Content analysis, descriptive and inferential statistical methods were employed to analyse 54 published empirical articles on ecotourism governance. The results indicated that studies conducted in Southern Africa (38%) and East Africa (30%) account for close to 70% of the literature on ecotourism governance in SSA. Participation was the most studied ecotourism governance principle (96%), while efficiency was the least (15%). Kruskal-Wallis test statistic showed no significant variation in the study of ecotourism governance principles in the different sub regions of SSA. Methodologically, most of the studies have either employed qualitative (50%) or quantitative (33%) approaches, with few studies employing mixed methods (17%). Future studies need to prioritize mixed-method approaches to study principles such as efficiency and equity in the analysis of ecotourism governance. Equally more empirical research studies should be undertaken in the West and Central Africa sub-regions in order to paint a better picture of the state of ecotourism governance across sub-Saharan Africa in general.

Agriculture is highly vulnerable to the adverse effects of climatic variations and changes (CVC). Smallholder farmers in particular bear the brunt of adverse climate variations and changes. It was within this background that this paper assessed climatic variations and changes, and the drivers of smallholder farmers’ vulnerability to adverse climatic changes in the Western Highlands of Cameroon. Secondary data (temperature and rainfall data) and primary data (obtained through a household survey of 350 smallholder farmers) were used for the study. Data analysis was done using descriptive and inferential statistical tools. It was found that, smallholder farmers perceived relatively high temperatures, intense sunshine, and erratic and scanty rainfall. Rising temperature, intense sunshine and scanty rainfall recurred annually. Recurrent extreme weather events and poverty were perceived as the major causes of vulnerability to climatic variations and changes. Most smallholder farmers (57.43%) rated their degree of vulnerability to CVC as “highly vulnerable”. A strong non-cause-effect relationship existed between vulnerability to CVC and hypothesized socio-economic, institutional and environmental explanatory variables (p

This paper follows the transition from ethnobotany to a deeper scientific understanding of the food and medicinal properties of African agroforestry tree products as inputs into the start of domestication activities. It progresses on to the integration of these indigenous trees as new crops within diversified farming systems for multiple social, economic and environmental benefits. From its advent in the 1990s, the domestication of indigenous food and non-food tree species has become a global programme with a strong African focus. This review of progress in the third decade is restricted to progress in Africa, where multi-disciplinary research on over 59 species has been reported in 759 research papers in 318 science publications by scientists from over 833 research teams in 70 countries around the world (532 in Africa). The review spans 23 research topics presenting the recent research literature for tree species of high priority across the continent, as well as that in each of the four main ecological regions: the humid zone of West and Central Africa; the Sahel and North Africa; the East African highlands and drylands; and the woody savannas of Southern Africa. The main areas of growth have been the nutritional/medicinal value of non-timber forest products; the evaluation of the state of natural resources and their importance to local people; and the characterization of useful traits. However, the testing of putative cultivars; the implementation of participatory principles; the protection of traditional knowledge and intellectual property rights; and the selection of elite trees and ideotypes remain under-researched. To the probable detriment of the upscaling and impact in tropical agriculture, there has been, at the international level, a move away from decentralized, community-based tree domestication towards a laboratory-based, centralized approach. However, the rapid uptake of research by university departments and national agricultural research centres in Africa indicates a recognition of the importance of the indigenous crops for both the livelihoods of rural communities and the revitalization and enhanced outputs from agriculture in Africa, especially in West Africa. Thus, on a continental scale, there has been an uptake of research with policy relevance for the integration of indigenous trees in agroecosystems and their importance for the attainment of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. To progress this in the fourth decade, there will need to be a dedicated Centre in Africa to test and develop cultivars of indigenous crops. Finally, this review underpins a holistic approach to mitigating climate change, as well as other big global issues such as hunger, poverty and loss of wildlife habitat by reaping the benefits, or ‘profits’, from investment in the five forms of Capital, described as ‘land maxing’. However, policy and decision makers are not yet recognizing the potential for holistic and transformational adoption of these new indigenous food crop opportunities for African agriculture. Is ‘political will’ the missing sixth capital for sustainable development?

Small-scale farmers’ adaptation decision in the face of climate variability and change (CVC) depends largely on their ability to perceive the impacts of CVC as well as their degree of vulnerability to these impacts. This research looks at the factors that influence small-scale farmers’ adaptation decision faced with climate variability and change, with particular focus on Mbengwi Central Sub-Division, North-West Region of Cameroon. The study made use of household surveys to identify the impacts, determine vulnerability and assess the factors influencing small-scale farmers’ adaptation decision. Data obtained from household surveys was analyzed using descriptive statistics (bar charts, percentage indices) and inferential statistics (Mann-Whitney test, Chi-Square, and the Binomial Logistic (BNL) regression model). Data analysis was done on Microsoft Excel 2007 and the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) 17.0. Results showed that, following small-scale farmers’ perceptions, crop productivity decline was the main impact of CVC (96.7%) and poverty the principal cause of vulnerability to CVC (98.3%). Mann-Whitney test results revealed that there was a significant difference between farmers’ adaptation decision and six hypothesized continuous explanatory variables (age, household size, farm size, number of farms, annual family income, farm experience) (p

Climate variability and change has continued to wreak havoc on the agricultural sector, with small-scale farmers being the most hard-hit. The limited adaptive capacity of small-scale farmers faced with the impacts of climate variability and change principally explains their high level of vulnerability. It is within this framework that this study sought to examine the specific resiliency choices of small-scale farmers faced with climate variability and change in Cameroon, and the plausible policy implications. Data was collected through a survey of 300 small-scale farmer household heads as well as climate data collected from meteorological stations. Data analysis was run on Microsoft Excel 2007 and SPSS 20, employing descriptive and inferential statistics. Findings showed significant fluctuations in climate parameters in recent years. The main resiliency choices of small-scale farmers faced with climate variability and change were on-farm practices (23%), off-farm practices (19%), and agroforestry practices (28%); with 30% of the sampled farmers taking to the no resiliency option. A statistically significant (p 0.01; p 0.05; and p 0.10) causal and non-causal relationship was found to exist between independent variables (household size, age of household head, number of farms, farm size, household income, farm experience, gender, experience of extreme weather events, access to weather information, access to extension services, access to credit, distance to market, access to land, and membership in farming group) and small-scale farmers' practice of different resiliency options faced with climate variability and change. This shows that small-scale farmers' practice of different resiliency options faced with climate variability and change is determined by past experience of extreme weather/climate events as well as socio-economic and institutional factors. On the basis of these findings, it is recommended that policy makers factor in these determinants when taking actions geared towards enhancing small-scale farmers' resilience to climate variability and change.