1. The Role which schools and Universities can play in promoting agricultural careers for youths; Our Organization has been involved in early childhood and youth education in schools and colleges accross the national territory through social clubs, meetings and conferences. Empowering young people and students in school and colleges goes a long a way in meeting the challenges in agricultural innovation and in the gender divide. When the young people and students go back home after school, they impact the female parents more as they are more closer to their mothers than their fathers. Best lessons among schools and colleges are facilitated as these students come from verious communities within the national territoy with different experiences and innovative approaches to agriculture and food security challenges and adaptation, climate change challenges and adaptation, alternative therapies and food sources. These experiences could be of valuable contribution to the entire national territory should these opportunities be developed thereby giving enormous opportunities for youths careers.
2. Approaches in promoting successful female equality in farming are mostly suited among family household. Empowering family faming, increasing capacities to human rights enhancement and food security.
Its wonderful to have this great document. We expect much more, the entire document addresses pressing issues and I agree with it.
Actions, are much more required to meeting goals.
Introduction: Cocoa cultivation has proven significantly to increase rural household income, reduce fuel wood energy consumption, conserve forests biodiversity and their watersheds, reduce land degradation, deforestation, open bush fires, and provide options to adaptation mitigation to climate change challenges. It continues to be the better side of the hidden agenda in curbing CO2 emissions from land degradation and deforestation, a concept which is farfetched in the United Nations agenda, instead concern is diverted into unjust initiatives in curbing CO2 emission from deforestation and forests degradation. Cocoa cultivation has for long shaped food insecurity challenges and improves food security dialogue among forests and Cocoa producing communities in Cameroon. However, there are some challenges which affect its production, processing and marketing including poverty, lack of capacity and liberalization policy.
Poor Knowledge; Poor Knowledge on liberalization policy implemented by governments, Poor knowledge to bargain and search better markets, Poor knowledge of pest and pesticides application, Poor knowledge to engage in alternative income generating activities, lack of education on modern farming methods and research advancement, Poor knowledge of processing and marketing of Cocoa and Cocoa products, Poor knowledge on their rights to land and the environment.
Poverty: Lack of inertial capital has had huge impact on cocoa production and access to credits and loans to purchase agricultural inputs and influence quality, organic or fair-trade production, for example purchase of transportation equipments to reduce child labour and long working hours, build Warehouses to store dried Cocoa Beans and to construction of farm-to-market roads.
The impacts of these factors have been vast, including resistance to insect pests to particular chemicals. There has been a big push to rural - urban migration by the youths and working population to search for better opportunities around the world leaving the old and the young back home helpless.This has helped to promote;
Child labour, prostitution and trafficking, poor hygienic and sanitation conditions, disease prevalence, Malaria and HIV/Aids, Hunger and malnutrition.
Damages and wastes in Cocoa production is a common experience among the farmers, with an annual loss of over 30% of production.
From insect pests like the Capsides Bugs causing ripening of immature Cocoa pods, damages from Parasites causing death of Cocoa trees e.g. mistletoe, damages from Coco Yam, Cassava cultivators who by the cause of tilling the ground cut the roots of Cocoa trees, damages caused by Black pod Cocoa disease when fungicides are applied at the wrong times and especially during heavy storms. Sometimes these pesticides are labeled to give a different image of a particular product where as they may be dangerous to crops and farmers.
Damages caused by Overheat when trees are exposed to direct sunlight.
Cocoa agro forestry sector in Cameroon remains the best means of managing and protecting forests, land, water and all other issues of biodiversity as a means to promote sustainable development and combat rural poverty and hunger especially as 75 % of the country's population depends on its production. Solutions will be to:
Provision of loans and pre-financing to farmers to assist promote cultivation and trade, Increase capacity building within these communities,
Provide market and fair-trade opportunities for agricultural production,
Build infrastructural development for farm to market roads, farm-to-farm roads and warehousing and drying facilities, Support for agricultural inputs like, spraying machines, fungicides, transportation vehicles (trucks)
The Green Economy is fundamental but except key players appear the development agenda, it becomes difficult to ascertain from the reality of Climate Change.
Key words: CO2, sustainable development, green economy, food security, climate change
Sr. Tcharbuahbokengo NFINN
We orgnaized a second meeting in the implementation of SDGs which took place in Nake Bakundu of Mbonge Sub Division. Project targeting peasant communities who do mixed farming on lands with less open bush fires and soil tilling. Decomposed Cocoa shells and other composed manure is introduced to add the excellent organic manure , soil nutirents for the cultivation and growth of crops without requiring any artificial nutrients. These crops are of high nutritional value and have the opportunity for a better market.
Project is working towards eradicating poverty, hunger and increasing the social status among rural communities by achieving the Rio Conventions and Post 2015 Development Agenda among peasant communities in South West Region.
The project intends to reach out to over 5 million people, where women and young people are the target, encouraging the youths on agriculture. It is expected that between 2015 - 2030 over 500,000 new jobs for youths will be attained and will curb rural exodus or migration, violence, crime problems among the youth population especially as many try to reach the Sahara desert or cross the mediterenian sea into europe. It is also expected to improve living and working hours/conditions of families and improved social status by increasing family income and additional opportunities to market farm agricultural products and food security challenges. Children and youths would be opportuned to have sound nutritional and dietary choices and to go to school with filled bowels and smiles and an opportunity to study well. Communities will be empowered to make informed decisions about their rights and voting conditions.
Target Audince: This project works with Peasants, Women,Youths, Schools and Colleges,Cocoa growers, CSOs, NGOs, Cultural organizations, Chiefs and local authorities, forces of law and elected officials of government.
Activities:
Capacity building of communities and local institutions including NGOs, CSO, Businesses, Cultural Organizations, Schools and Colleges on sustainable land management climate change adaptation.
Participatory training and education, workshops and conferences among community organizations, youths groups, schools and colleges, cultural groups, policy makers and forces of law and order on sustainable land management and climate change adaptation.
Tree planting and planting of crops adapted to soil nutrients and increased varieties of endangered species of flora and fauna.
Integrated development involving, management of towns, river basins, forests, roads, infrastructure and constructions works
Constraints of peasant farmers in implemeting the Sustainable development Goals.
Lack of Agricultural Imputs
Lack of loan and credit facilities
Lack of adequate information on markets and agricultural opportunities
New breeds
New technology