Cover_Rebuilding West Africas Food Potential

124 Rebuilding West Africa’s food potential

Table 2. Overview of agricultural policies in some countries of the CEMAC zone (Cont.)

Country Issues and Challenges /

Policy Framework

Areas of intervention Action Plan

Gabon Issues and Challenges:

Enable agriculture to contribute

more significantly to the improve-

ment of living conditions in rural

areas and render the country less

dependent on external supply.

Strategic Framework:

National Commission for Food

Security and Rural Development

in Gabon

1. Increase local food produc-
   tion to ensure better avail-
   ability of food at low cost


2. Improve household food
   security through improved
   protein-energy ration
   (2400 Kcal / capita per
   day)


3. Reduce rural poverty by
   improving stakeholders’
   agricultural income
   
   
   • Improve the technical capacity of stake-
     holders and their organizations to
     participate in the management of the
     agricultural sector
   
   
   • Improve the conditions of production
     and marketing of different crops
   
   
   • Develop appropriate and consistent
     financing instruments that will support
     the development of investment in the
     sector
   
   
   • Establish a legislative and regulatory
     framework, and more broadly, a more
     attractive institutional and infrastructural
     environment
   
   
   
   

Cameroon Issues and Challenges:

Strengthen the agricultural sector

as the engine for the country’s

economic and social development;

Promote professional and inter-

professional organizing of the

various economic operators who

are to be the main actors in the

development of agriculture;

Improve the food security of

populations by increasing produc-

tion and all revenues.

Strategic Framework:

Strategy Paper on the develop-

ment of the rural sector.

1. Develop sustainable
   production and supply of
   agricultural products


2. Sustainable natural
   resources management


3. Promote local and
   community development


4. Develop appropriate
   financing mechanisms


5. Develop employment and
   vocational training in agri-
   culture


6. Manage risks linked to
   food insecurity


7. Develop the institutional
   framework
   
   
   • Modernize farms (access to inputs, land,
     more efficient techniques and funding)
   
   
   
   

• (^) Increase farm incomes (improving
productivity and competitiveness)

• Enhance food security in high popula-
  tion density and fragile ecology areas in
  the context of integrated development
  programs


• Promote rational and sustainable use of
  natural resources


• Establish an incentive framework specifi-
  cally for small and medium agricultural
  production and processing enterprises


• Strengthen the organization and devel-
  opment of export-oriented production
  sectors and industrial processing


• Develop regional and sub-regional
  market access


• Strengthen professional and inter-
  professional organizations (partnership
  in the management sector)


• Consolidate the rule of law in the
  commercial and financial environment
  (create a more favorable environment
  for the development of domestic and
  foreign investment in the agricultural
  sector)


• Develop micro-finance systems, reha-
  bilitate rural dirt roads and strengthen
  participatory management of grassroots
  socio-economic infrastructure