Small scale farming systems in the Western Highlands of Cameroon (WHC) are influenced by many factors. Understanding the determinants that influence the system is essential when targeting... Show moreSmall scale farming systems in the Western Highlands of Cameroon (WHC) are influenced by many factors. Understanding the determinants that influence the system is essential when targeting appropriate intervention strategies for improvement. A field survey was carried out and analysed to understand the forces that drive the farming systems in this area. The impacts of farming practices on farm sustainability were used as indicators to score sustainability. The results revealed that the household characteristics were very similar across the villages while the sustainability differed depending on the intensity of off-farm inputs in the production systems and other socio-economic factors. Sustainability had significant negative relationships with the intensity of land use, off-farm inputs, and sole cropping practice and a positive relationship with the age of the head of the household. The determinants of the system which explained 62.15% of the total variation of sustainability in the study area were grouped to indicate a number of underlying common factors influencing sustainability. The villages of the WHC had much in common and could benefit equally from the same improved technologies and recommendations. Show less
This study analyses human mobility among inhabitants of Cameroon‘s most populous region, the Western Highlands of Cameroon. In other to capture the impact of various determinants on human mobility... Show moreThis study analyses human mobility among inhabitants of Cameroon‘s most populous region, the Western Highlands of Cameroon. In other to capture the impact of various determinants on human mobility, a comparative study was conducted through household and field surveys in three villages in the region and conceptualized based on the systems approach. The drop in coffee prices coupled with demographic pressure was a major determinant of mobility and land-use changes in the area. Rural-to-urban migration was significantly controlled by a combination of socio-economic determinants while commuting to other rural areas for farming was triggered by the quest for microclimates adapted for the production of vegetable cash crops. Intensive land-use and high dependence on off-farm chemical inputs was found to have replaced the traditional long fallow system. This represented a threat to the sustainability of the farming system due to vulnerability to pests and erosion. On the other hand, occupational diversification triggered by urban-to-rural migration had far reaching effects on the improvement of rural livelihood. Show less
Population growth and the drop in the returns from the major cash crop (coffee) for small farmers are the main drivers that have influenced the farming systems and mobility of farmers in the... Show morePopulation growth and the drop in the returns from the major cash crop (coffee) for small farmers are the main drivers that have influenced the farming systems and mobility of farmers in the Western Highlands of Cameroon (WHC). The main objective of this research activity was to determine the interactions between farming systems and human mobility in the WHC. A comparative study was conducted through household and field surveys in three villages and conceptualized based on the systems approach. The different types of mobility were influenced by household social factors, the quest for ‘high valued' farm plots and hired labour. Urban-rural migration contributed to occupation diversification and social mobility. The sustainability factor was a function of land use intensity, intensity of off-farm inputs, the household adjustment factor and mobility of the household. The sacred groves were rich in plant diversity of varied ecological and economic importance. Nitrogen mining was common at all levels of the farming system. These determinants and types of mobility claims are pertinent to the research area; the sustainability results of the farming systems reflect the reality on the ground; the nutrient flux evaluated at the crop and farm levels constitute a valuable database for future research. Show less
