Far North: NEPAC fronts food security efforts

Faced with alarming rates of food insecurity in the Far North region, the Network for the Promotion of Agro-ecology in Cameroon, NEPAC, is mobilizing to promote sustainable and ecological agricultural practices.

The Network for the Promotion of Agro-ecology in Cameroon, NEPAC, is presently leading the fight against food insecurity in the Far North Region. The international body is notably mobilizing to promote sustainable and ecological agricultural practices in the region. The initiative aims to combat the escalating nutritional crisis which has experts blame on climate change, persistent insecurity, and recurring floods that devastate crops and leave farmers in a state of extreme vulnerability.

Data from the United Nations Food Funds indicates that approximately 66% of the population in the Far North region faced food insecurity in 2022. The situation, described as extremely serious by authorities and locals, is rooted in a multitude of challenges, including the impact of climate change, which has altered agricultural cycles and intensified extreme weather events. Insecurity and ongoing conflicts further impede the development of an already strained agricultural sector. Recurrent floods consistently wipe out entire harvests, plunging communities deeper into a cycle of food scarcity.

In response to this pressing reality, NEPAC has organized a comprehensive strategy to strengthen the resilience of rural communities and transform existing challenges into opportunities for agricultural renewal and sustainable development. During a recent workshop focused on presenting the objectives and mechanisms of their work plan, NEPAC members outlined their approaches to tackle the crisis.

Acknowledging that the success of their initiative relies on robust institutional backing, NEPAC is calling for swift and vigilant intervention from authorities. The network believes that strong government support is crucial to prevent the crisis from worsening, especially given the continued insecurity in several departments of the already heavily afflicted region. While awaiting a governmental response that aligns with the scope of the challenges, NEPAC and its partners are actively working to support local populations, build local capacities, and promote innovative solutions that can restore hope to farmers and communities in the Far North.

This includes promoting agro-ecological farming techniques resilient to climate change, providing farmers with training on sustainable practices, developing climate-resilient crop varieties, and strengthening community-based food storage and distribution systems. NEPAC also plans to advocate for policies that support smallholder farmers and promote sustainable agricultural development. NEPAC-led initiative provides a ray of hope for the Far North region.

By empowering local communities with the knowledge and resources they need to adapt to changing conditions, NEPAC and its partners are laying the foundation for a more food-secure and sustainable future.  The Far North region is expected to benefit from NEPAC’s recent initiatives.