Towards Food Sovereignty in Cameroon: Indigenous Food Practices and Community Grain Banks in the MayoTsanaga Division of the Far North Region

Authors

Prudencia Ayamba, School for International TrainingFollow
Chimene Tankou Nkouamou epse Nukunah Dr, School for International TrainingFollow

English Abstract

Food security is a term defined in 1996 by the World Food Summit as a situation where everyone has both economic and physical access to nutritious and safe food that meets their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life. This concept also became a priority during the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and later the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which aim to combat world hunger by 2030. However, the term ‘food security’ has faced criticism for overlooking indigenous knowledge and practices in addressing the food crisis and for misrepresenting marginalized populations. Because of these limitations, the term ‘food sovereignty’ is increasingly adopted to amplify marginalized voices in tackling the food crisis. Using a qualitative approach, semi-structured interviews were conducted with NGO staff and project beneficiaries on the management of grain banks in Mayo Tsanaga, Cameroon. The study highlights how community-managed grain banks, locally adapted farming strategies, and traditional knowledge systems offer a culturally grounded, self-reliant response to food insecurity. Though these practices may not be unique to Cameroon, this case provides a distinct model of grassroots resilience and indigenous governance that challenges top-down development frameworks and offers policy-relevant insights for decolonizing food systems. By sharing this information, we continue the work of endorsing bottom-up, grassroots approaches in surmounting hunger in our different communities.

Spanish Abstract

La seguridad alimentaria es un término definido en 1996 por la Cumbre Mundial de la Alimentación como una situación en la que todos tienen acceso económico y físico a alimentos nutritivos y seguros que satisfacen sus necesidades dietéticas y preferencias alimentarias para una vida activa y saludable. Este concepto también se convirtió en una prioridad durante los Objetivos de Desarrollo del Milenio (ODM) y posteriormente en los Objetivos de Desarrollo Sostenible (ODS), que buscan combatir el hambre en el mundo para 2030. Sin embargo, el término ‘seguridad alimentaria’ ha sido criticado por pasar por alto el conocimiento y las prácticas indígenas en la resolución de la crisis alimentaria y por representar de manera incorrecta a las poblaciones marginadas. Debido a estas limitaciones, el término ‘soberanía alimentaria’ se adopta cada vez más para amplificar las voces de los marginados en la lucha contra la crisis alimentaria. Usando un enfoque cualitativo, se realizaron entrevistas semiestructuradas con el personal de ONG y los beneficiarios del proyecto sobre la gestión de bancos de granos en Mayo Tsanaga, Camerún. El estudio destaca cómo los bancos de granos gestionados por la comunidad, las estrategias agrícolas adaptadas localmente y los sistemas de conocimiento tradicional ofrecen una respuesta culturalmente fundamentada y autosuficiente a la inseguridad alimentaria. Aunque estas prácticas pueden no ser únicas de Camerún, este caso proporciona un modelo distinto de resiliencia desde la base y de gobernanza indígena que desafía los enfoques de desarrollo jerárquicos y ofrece ideas relevantes para las políticas para descolonizar los sistemas alimentarios. Al compartir esta información, continuamos la labor de respaldar enfoques de base y comunitarios para superar el hambre en nuestras diversas comunidades.

Author Biography

Prudencia Ayamba Affiliation: School for International Training (SIT) Email: ayambaprudencia@gmail.com Bio Statement Ayamba Prudencia holds a Master’s degree in Plant Science with a specialization in Plant Pathology from the University of Buea. She completed a study abroad program on Development and Social Change in Cameroon, where she researched food insecurity in Mayo Tsanaga Division of the Far North Region. Prudencia is passionate about food security and sustainable agriculture, indigenous knowledge, local empowerment with a strong commitment to advancing food sovereignty and resilience in rural communities. Dr Chimene Nukunah Affiliation: School of International Training (SIT) Email: chimene.nukunah@sit.edu ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7051-8735 Bio Statement Chimene is the Academic Director of the Development and Social Change Study Abroad Programme in Cameroon. She obtained her PhD from UNISA where she proposed a framework that can be used to decolonise management education. With this background she encourages students to recognise and showcase indigenous practices in their community. As a teacher Chimene brings love and care to her classroom as a praxis of decoloniality contributing towards a just society.

Recommended Citation

Ayamba, Prudencia and Tankou Nkouamou epse Nukunah, Chimene Dr (2026) "Towards Food Sovereignty in Cameroon: Indigenous Food Practices and Community Grain Banks in the MayoTsanaga Division of the Far North Region," Journal of Critical Global Issues: Vol. 2: Iss. 1, Article 4.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.62895/2997-0083.1025
Available at: https://digitalcollections.sit.edu/jcgi/vol2/iss1/4