Business oriented farmers' cooperatives can play a key role in agricultural transformation and participatory research in Cameroon in the following ways: 1. They can help organize farmers, disseminate technologies, improve marketing efficiency, diversify farmer incomes, provide credit, and advocate for supportive policies. 2. As private enterprises owned by members, cooperatives can link production with supply chains and transfer knowledge to farmers through participatory approaches. 3. STCP aims to support cooperatives and empower farmers by improving cocoa production, diversifying incomes, linking social and technical messages, and taking a supply chain approach that considers production, marketing, and farmer organization.

1. Business oriented farmers’ organization enterprise;
A potential key actor for the participatory Research &
Agricultural Transformation
Jonas MVA MVA
Country Manager
STCP Cameroon
Ibadan, June 24,2008

2. Presentation plan
- Context
- Clarification of concepts used
- Potential Areas of intervention for the cooperatives in
Participatory research and agricultural transformation
- Key actors for the agricultural transformation

3. Context
source: 2005 IITACA baseline survey, Centre and South
West provinces of Cameroon

4. STCP Cameroon Project Location

5. General constraints of the Tree crops
sector in Cameroon
rural exodus/ difficult access limited access limited
Ageing of to agricultural to technical weak farmer access
farmers inputs know-how organizations to financing
limited access high interest lack of
old cocoa farms to farm rate professionalism
equipment of MFI
inefficiency of no valorization
marketing of cocoa
channels by-products
institutional framework not favorable
deterioration low low farm-gate
of the quality productivity prices
difficult access decrease of
to information the farmers’
income
research for alternative crops

6. Challenge:
to move Cameroon from subsistence
agriculture towards market oriented/
commercial system by:
1- Enhancing productivity of cocoa farms;
2- Increasing marketing efficiency at the farmer-
level;
3- Diversifying income of farmers;
4- Improving policy environment to enable rural
transformation in cocoa communities

7. STCP Cameroon approach in PR and
agricultural transformation
STCP= Develop/ STCP= facilitate STCP = Develop/
test and validate access to Introduce new
with coops tools/ information/ market techniques/
approach to built Coop= improve Technologies
business quality of the Coop=Dissemi
enterprises products nate in rural areas

8. Guiding Principles
 Testing of innovative development options and
approaches (production, institutional, market)
 Assessing the process, impact, and conditions for
success of the innovations
 Sustaining and institutionalizing innovations
 Integrating lessons into national development efforts
(cost effective scaling up)
 Using tree crops as a pathway for broader investment
in rural development

9. Clarification of concepts used:
- Agricultural Transformation
- COOPERATIVE = Business oriented
farmers‟ organization enterprise
- Participatory Research

10. Agricultural Transformation
Agricultural transformation is the process by
which individual farms shift from highly
diversified, subsistence-oriented production
towards more specialized production, oriented
towards the market.
The process involves a greater reliance on input
and output delivery (marketing) systems and
increased integration of agriculture with other
sectors of the domestic, regional and
international economies.

11. COOPERATIVE = Business
oriented farmers organization
Economic & Business like
1- Business and market economy based
2- Producers coop. orientation
3- Economic principles
4- Members need to understand and accept risks, liability
and business principles
5- Proportionality in voting
6- Efficiency of cooperatives and therefore profitable for
members
The social thing of coops is that they generate a better
income for the farmer’s household

12. Participatory research=
Farmer field Research
-The farm research activities are identified,
oriented and guided by the farmers' organizations
and other potential partners with input of the
research;
- Potential innovations are jointly tested by
farmers„organizations & research;
- Improved innovations are adopted and
disseminated by farmers„organizations (Farmer to
farmer approach); and capitalized, documented
and made public goods by research

13. Potential Areas of intervention for the
cooperatives in Participatory
research and agricultural
transformation
1- Effective organization of farmers
2- Technology Dissemination
3- Marketing
4- Diversification
5- Credit
6- Policy

14. 1- Organization of Farmers:
Cooperative can play an important role in the
improvement of the production and supply
chain efficiencies to the benefit of farmers
Improving skills and knowledge of :
• Farmer/farm organizational
entrepreneurial skills
• Organizational development
(governance, accountability…)
• Efficiency of operations;
• Discipline of members;
• Business principles
• Management
• Financing & capitalisation
• Legislation

15. Production
PRODUCTION , regenera-
tion
diversifi-
cation
Education, cooperati Marketing,
entrepreneurs quality
hip ve control, MIS
Members
Social
Supply chain
MODEL under testing

16. Few field achievements
STCP Coop/Public & Private
-12 Business oriented farmers
Develop approach/
Tools to establish and/ Cooperatives; and
or strength Farmers
Cooperatives - 1 Union of cooperatives in the
Centre province
-12 Cooperative organs (Board ,
Develop tools/methods Supervisory Committee) /Union trained;
for the enhancement - 12 cooperatives employees trained
of cooperative in entreprise mgt, credit,
management good governance and marketing.
Develop tools/approach
to strengthen existing 3 Public institutions (MINADER, MINRESI and
Public and private MINTRADE) and 18 Private entities(9 NGOs,
entities such as 6 consultants,3 exporters) strengthened to
local NGOs in the area
of agric business deliver effective and efficient services
development to cocoa/ oil palm farmers in the supply chain

17. Next challenge
1- Develop necessary tools/methods & approach to create
appropriate conditions for business oriented organizations;
2- Develop mechanisms for community associations and
farmer organizations to access production support
services;
3- Develop mechanisms for community associations and
farmer organizations to provide production support services
4- Develop approach to strengthen local private sector to
provide quality production support services
5- conduct impact studies
6- produce public goods: “systematization guide for the
cooperative implementation (in collaboration with
SOCODEVI)”

18. 2- Technology Dissemination
Cooperative play an important role to deliver
key knowledge and technologies to farmers
effectively
Enhancing productivity of cocoa
farms
• Farmer production training
• Use of improved planting material
• Integrated pest and disease
management
• Integrated soil fertility
management
• Safe labour practices …….etc.

19. Few field achievements
STCP Cooperative
An extension rural system set up
Develop/scale up -124 FFS operational;
appropriate -3 100 cocoa producers directly trained
agricultural through FFS
practices for cocoa - 6 200 cocoa producers indirectly (F-t-F)
through FFS -cocoa yields on average 15 to 40% higher,
while requiring 10 to 20% less pesticides
-a farmer-near improved germplasm delivery
Develop sustainable System (cocoa, oil plam, plantain, fruit trees)
mechanisms to -More than 300 nursery managers (cocoa,
facilitate farmers oil palm, banana plantain, and fruit trees)
-50 000 improved cocoa pods ; 130 000
access to improved pre germinated oil palm nuts delivered
vegetal material to farmers through the system
Develop a participatory
Bio control of pest Trials of bio control products set up with
farmers to maintain their exploitation
nd diseases with farmers and protect the environment
in their farms

21. Next challenge
1- Develop/test the participatory bio control of pest and
diseases experiment with farmers in their farms;
2- Validate the development of the agricultural extension
system with farmer/cooperatives
3- Develop and scale up knowledge and technology
dissemination approaches (farmer field schools, video viewing
clubs, complementary extension materials, radio messaging,
Farmer-to-Farmer Diffusion Approach, Farmer Learning Groups)
4- Test mechanisms for farmers to access fertilizers
5- Conduct impact studies :
6- Produce public goods: « Oil palm training manual for small
producers”

22. 3- Marketing:
Cooperative can play important role in the
development of marketing strategies and trade &
information systems able to deliver benefits to
farmers and quality products to users
Increasing marketing efficiency
at the farmer-level
• Access to information
• Organizing farmers
• Collective marketing
• Achieving quality responsive
to markets ….etc.

23. Marketing strategies identified
FOB
CAF
traders
Port
AMSTERDAM DOUALA
London -NEW YORK
TRADING OF COCOA exp
Farmgate Rep exp
Goal of coopérative Buyers
- create richeness for members
coxeurs
OBJECTIVES OF THE COOPERATIVE
- to sell members products at the best price COOPERATIVES
- to supply members at the lowest price
FO FO FO FO
ROLE OF THE COOPERATIVE
Reduce the number of intermediaries
Short term : from the member to the port
COMMERCIALISATION OF COCOA
LONG TERM : from the member to the user
Add value to through processing

24. Few Field achievements
STCP Cooperative
- Linkage estalished between coops and
Improve access to
Markets by linking OLAM, ADM;
cooperatives - Delivery to Douala port strategy tested;
with market-based - farmers received 5-15% higher farm-gate
buyers
prices.
Develop new
market information - Cooperatives linked to SIF
systems for the set up by ONCC
marketing of products
Develop quality -About 10 000 tons of good fermented
control centers within
the cooperatives to cocoa marketed from 2005 to 2008
assess the quality of cocoa season
products put in the -Price premiums of 9 to 10 percent
market -Increase in household cocoa income
on average between 23 and 55% higher.

25. Next challenge for STCP
1- Test/validate collective marketing strategies to
the port of Douala with the cooperatives, and private sector
(OLAM/ADM/CARGILL);
2- Develop/test export marketing strategy with the Union of
Cooperatives and Private sector (ADM/CARGILL);
3- Develop/test/validate access to information for the union;
4- Test/validate quality control mechanisms with the coops
5- Develop approach to integrate marketing of non-cocoa
products from cocoa farms
6- Identify and evaluate market-driven product tracking systems
for differentiated cocoa
7- Explore by-products commercialization opportunities

27. 4- Diversification:
Cooperatives can play an important role in diversification
strategies to benefit to farmers and increase his revenues
Diversifying income of farmers
• Neighbor trees of cocoa
(timber, fruit);
• Other crop enterprises;
• Agri-business opportunities
…….etc.

28. Few field achievements
STCP Cooperative
Farmers trained in setting and
Develop new farm
monitoring demonstration plots
management models
on cocoa/oil palm agroforest models
-Promotion of mix cropping with maize,
banana plantain and fruit trees,
Promote oil palm/ -Promotion of mushroom production
cocoa from oil palm wastes;
by products and
Associated products -Production of 262 500 plantain suckers;
-Seed funds established in coops
-Setting of 9 oil palm processing units.

29. Next challenge
1- Identify promising diversification options (introduction of tree
species, e.g. fruits, timber, medicinal) through participatory
research;
2- Develop participatory learning and monitoring approach
3- Integrate farmer-near planting material multiplication with
cocoa planting material delivery systems
4- Study new Agri-business opportunities;
5- Develop Farmers' business school approach/tools
6- Identify promising diversification options (e.g. rubber, oil
palm, cassava, maize)
7- Develop farm-level decision tools on diversification options
8- Produce public goods

30. 5- Credit:
Cooperative can contribute to the development
strategies in order to create a sustainable
financial environment to benefit to farmers and
their enterprises
- Identify/analyze competitive financing
mechanisms
- Study the feasibility of setting up a saving-
loan/credit scheme within cooperatives

31. Few Field achievement
STCP Cooperative
Develop Micro
finance Institutions An amount of 201 350 000 FCFA
capacities for FIFFA to test the credit scheme
-Testing of a rural credit scheme with
an interest rate of 6% for ag. Activities;
-83 millions cfa credit loaned to 10 cooperatives
-15 985 000 FCFA of cooperative saving blocked
Experiment new credit at FIFFA;
scheme -48 new accounts opened besides the
Cooperative members‟ones;
-A total of 6 862 769 FCFA saved by non
cooperative members (civil servants,
traders,etc.);
Develop tools/ -Involvement of FIFFA in the project;
strategies to
strengthen -Training of FIFFA agents in rural
farmers' organizations
capacities in entreprise principles;
loan management

32. Next challenge
1- Identify appropriate strategies to create a sustainable
financial environment to benefit to farmers and their
enterprises
2- Facilitate linkages to and development of programs
promoting enterprise development and micro-finance

33. 6- Policy:
Cooperative can participate in the development of
policy changes necessary to promote production
and supply chain efficiency
Policy enabling rural transformation in cocoa
communities and agro-ecologies
 Using a multi-market model;
 Organizing Public debate and stakeholder
consultations on national policy priorities;
 Formulating Policy recommendations with
appropriate authorities

34. Field achievements
STCP/COOPS
a national task force set up including
MINADER, MINEPAT, MINTRADE, ONCC and
CICC to contribute to raising the awareness
Policy Advocacy of the importance of tree crops to rural
development strategies,
Effective national & international
collaboration & buy in, exchange of know-how
International Private- & experiences across partners
Public Partnerships (public institutions such as:
MINADER, IRAD, MINPMESAA,MINRESI;
private such as: OLAM, ADM, farmers coops,
Donors such as: GTZ/DED, Plan International,
FODECC
collaboration & exchange between
country projects guaranteeing transfer and
Regionality broadening of innovations, tested techniques,
methods and strategies are ensured

35. Next challenge
1- Organize Public debate and stakeholder consultations on
national policy priorities;
2- Formulate Policy recommendations with appropriate
authorities
3- Develop and implement social, economic and environmental
sustainability indicators together with cocoa sector
stakeholders to monitor and evaluate rural transformation
processes
4- Conduct regular national round tables to discuss and review
policy and investment issues of national interest

36. KEY ACTORS of the Agricultural transformation
Cooperative/Farmer Organizations
Ensure that priority needs of the farmers are addressed,
advocacy, self-regulation, marketing & production services,
linkage between research and producers, platform for
technology testing and transfer/dissemination
Private Sector
Market discipline, specific knowledge of industry, experience
to design market focused actions, research support, service
provision, input supply, investments in value chain, marketing
Public Sector
Country/regional understanding, knowledge of development,
networks of expertise/research, support services, labour
environment, infra-structure, policy/institutional framework,
financing capacity
Research
Assist the other actors in their respective areas of needs

37. IMPORTANCE OF COOPS IN THE AGRICULTURAL
TRANSFORMATION AND PR
1. Private enterprises owned by members
2. linking production with the supply chain, and
providing a conduit for the transfer of knowledge and
technologies
3. Linking social messages with technical ones (child
labour and HIV/AIDS)
4. Participatory approaches building the skills of
farmers, e.g. Field Schools, Business schools,
Learning Groups and Field Research
5. Creating employment in rural areas (hiring Managers,
accountants, warehouse clerks, drivers, etc)

38. STCP areas of Research and
support to empower the farmers
& their organizations
improve (main stream) cocoa production,
Production Income diversification and marketing in
general,
linking social, environmental & technical
messages
Supply Chain Approach production, input supply, information,
considering marketing, farmer organization development
participatory learning methods (e.g. FFS, FBS
Integrated & FLG), business-oriented farms and farmer
Participatory Approaches organizations, collective marketing
& shortening the supply chain
developing & realizing a national/regional
cocoa vision to contribute to raising the
Policy Advocacy awareness of the importance of cocoa to
rural development strategies, local private
sector development, employment and
foreign exchange earnings

40. THANK YOU