Be inspired and scale-up agribusiness - ACP briefing meetings

ACP Briefing on Emerging Donors and Rising Powers in Agriculture
  The African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States (ACP) consists of 48 countries from Sub-Sahara Africa, 16 from the Caribbean and 15 from the Pacific; making a total of 79 countries of which Cameroon in a member. ACP seeks to enhance sustainable development and gradual integration of its member’s countries into the global economy through poverty reduction and improve livelihoods for equity restoration, coordination of activities to consolidate unity and enhances solidarity, understanding, peace and stability among ACP groups.

The ACP-EU technical centre for Agriculture and Rural Cooperation (CTA) regularly organises development sessions in Brussels on key issues and challenges for rural development in the context of ACP-EU cooperation to tackle rural agricultural challenges such as climate change mitigation and adaptation, migration, financial credits for agricultural investment, rural development and impact of globalization on small-scale farmers among others. This information platforms ensures exchange of information and experiences to ensure coherence, collaboration and partnership between member states. This briefings target the wider development communities in Brussels which includes the EU parliament, EC services, NGOs, ACP groups, EU member States representative and other civil societies.

The Forgotten Green Heroes; represented by Dr. Nvenakeng Suzanne Awung; was opportune to participate at the Brussels Briefing on “Emerging donors and rising powers in agriculture in ACP countries” which took place on Tuesday 27 October 2015 (9am - 1pm) at the ACP Secretariat in Brussels. The Briefing discussed the key challenges and new opportunities to enhance South-South and Triangular cooperation. This Briefing reviewed successes and lessons learned from research and practice; enhanced exchange of information on best practices and drivers of success; and also fed into the debate on various perspectives on policy options. Here the key challenges and opportunities in South-South cooperation in agriculture and the lessons learned from research and practice were reviewed. The knowledge acquired from this ACP conference did inspired TFGH to scale-up its agri-aqua inclusive venture to tackle the issues of food insecurity, poverty and provide alternative livelihoods to the local farmers. This will enhance community adaptability to climate change threats, reduce their dependence on the forest and gradually restores ecosystems.

Follow the full report here https://brusselsbriefings.net/past-briefings/43-emerging-donors-and-rising-powers/

Land tenure and resource rights

Land Tenure and Resource Rights

Cameroon consists of 6 agro-ecological zones that range from the humid tropical forest in the South through the savannah vegetation to the Sahelian type vegetation in the North. According to Earth Trends Country data (WRI, 2003), 37,182,000 ha of land in Cameroon are forested area. Cameroon land tenure consist of, the 1974 Land Ordinance, the Indicative Land Use Framework and the Local Cultural and Traditional Land tenure systems. According to the 1974 Land Ordinance, the state owns all uninhabited forestland without land title. The Indicative Land Use Framework categorised land into permanent forest and non-permanent forest but only about 30% has been categorised. The non-permanent forest estates are then subjected to local traditional regimes of land rights and this poses a great concern of overlap in rights and entitlements.

Chiefs have got both political and ritual powers to claim sovereignty over land in the non-permanent forest according to local traditional regimes. The traditional ownership of these lands can be by virtue of first occupation for original family lineage; by birth, marriage or local access through family lineage, elders or traditional council; or migrant or non-native can pay tribute to chiefs to grant them usufruct. This makes it common for strangers to think that state ownership implies getting access to these areas without local level approval and it is this duality between national and local levels and the overlaps of rights and entitlements that poses risks to forest project development and management. This has left the local communities in a state of dilemma when government contract are sign without Free Prior-Informed Consent of the local communities (Watch below).

While local communities cannot legally sue the government in a court of law for matters concerning community forest, the minister reserve the right to halt or stop any 25-year communities’ forest management contract if the management plan is not respected. So MINFOF (Ministry of Forestry and Fauna) has discretionary power over forest and lack of clarity on earnings from forest ecosystems services and inadequate benefit-sharing mechanism to redistribute forest revenue right down to local communication obstructs implementation of sustainable forest projects that are geared toward poverty alleviation and improved livelihood of indigenous people for local development.

A 2009 study by the World Agro-forestry Centre found out that palm oil plantations store less than 40 tons of carbon per hectare over their 25-year lifespan. By comparison, logged forests stored 70-200 tons of carbon per hectare, while some untouched forests exceeded 400 tons. Now the government of Cameroon is leasing and selling large tracts of land to companies like Herakles, which has been granted permit to develop large-scale palm plantation in the local communities of Ndian division. The Herackles Farm lease of 99-year implies that future generation will be affected; more deforestation, loss of biodiversity and less carbon sequestration will be observed with major socio-economic impact to local communities and ecosystem destruction of ancient rain-forest. 

In a press release Mr Bruce Wrobel, the CEO of Herakles Farm has these to say “The plantations will deliver a whole range of benefits for the local population, including jobs, housing, health clinics, clean water and schools, while safeguarding the incredible biodiversity of this part of the world," How true is this statement? Watch for yourself! 

Let's use are passion and enthusiasm to lift others on our way up.

Nvenakeng Suzanne Awung

Agribusiness is today’s most feasible option

If you train a woman, you have train a generation

In Sub-Sahara Africa, women’s land-rights are limited by some traditional norms. Only about 1% of women actually own land and some 10% qualify for agricultural loan. Despite these limitations, 80% of them are agricultural workers cultivating 90% of food consumed locally and producing 80% of developing world’s food.

The African woman is the greatest climate change burden bearer walking for miles across harsh terrain to fetch water, fuel-wood, cultivating and harvesting crops and this has exposed them to threat of violence and rape as they need to fetch water in faraway distances. Drought and landslide can also separate families exposing women to human trafficking, starvation and loss of life in a blink of an eye.

Train a woman and you would have train and maintain a household, which is the fundamental unit of any community. There is need to provide enough support and training on sustainable agriculture, agro-forestry and other income generating activities like animal husbandry, aqua-culture and small businesses to alleviate poverty, improve livelihood and helps mitigate and adapt to climate change. Empowering women to embark on sustainable agricultural and socio-economic activities enable them to improve their lifestyles and fully participate in community development. Women have proven to be the backbone of any economy.

We would sensitise the men and broaden their views to understand the essence of including a woman’s place at discussion table. Women will be given the right tools and training to build assets and income so that they too will realise their rights, access basic social services, be self-reliance and fully participate in sustainable community development. Support us raise awareness and change the life of marginalized women for improved livelihood and well-being of their families and communities.

"Let's lead the change before climate change changes us"

Dr. Nvenakeng Suzanne Awung

African baby names - full of meaning

Does your name reflect your personality?

Names of African native derivations are so exotic, full of meaning and significant - Barack in Swahili means ‘blessing’. In Africa, it is believed that the choice of a child’s names greatly influence the life of a child as most of them have specific meaning. Some names reflect the day of birth like Kwame meaning ‘Saturday child’, while some depends on the prevailing circumstance at that time or the environment such as Lekan which means ‘my wealth is growing’ and  Ayodele meaning ‘return of happiness’. Some names carry high expectations such as Zuberi which means ‘powerful’ and some could even have significant repercussions in a child’s life, like Ashanti which means ‘aggressive, warlike’.

African is the second largest and second most populous continent in the world. It covers 6% of the earth’s surface area (about 30.2 million km²) and 20.4% land area which habours about 15% of the world’s population. In this massive continent, many languages are being spoken within the hundreds of Ethnic groups with diversified believes and religion. Due to the fact that each ethnic group can even have hundreds of different regional or tribal dialects, names often vary from one region or village to another. In the North of Africa, most names turn to have Arabic origin (mostly Muslim) while the Central and Southern Africans bears some European names as a result of European colonization and partial Christianity. But still the majority in sub-Sahara Africa bears names from Africa native derivation with specific meaning which provide a wealth of naming heritage, a tradition passed down through generation. Below are some of them:

Names	Meaning	Names	Meaning
Amaka (f)	God is gorgeous	Lesedi (f)	Woman of light
Ayodele (m)	Return of happiness	Masego	Divine favour
Bongani (m)	The grateful one	Nala (f)	Successful
Chukwumeka (m)	God did great deeds	Nkechi (f)	God’s present
Deka (f)	The pleasing one	Nkiru (f)	The greatest will come
Ebele (f)	Compassion	Obasi (m)	In God’s favour
Ekene	Acclaimed	Olufemi (m)	Adored by God
Femi (m)	Adored by God	Onyeka	God is great
Ife (f)	Woman of love	Rufaro (f)	Joy
Imani  (f)	Faithful person	Sade (f)	Honour bestows a crown
Jaheem (m)	Dignified	Simba (m)	Lion
Jelani (m)	Full of strength	Talib (m)	Ones who seeks
Kanye (m)	Freedom	Tumelo	Having faith
Katlego	Achieving	Wekesa (m)	Harvest child
Kwame (m)	Saturday child	Zuberi  (m)	Powerful
Lekan (m)	My wealth is growing	Zula (f)	Unclear

My African native name Nvenakeng originated from the Bangwa tribe in Lebialem Division, South West Region of Cameroon. I was named after my paternal grand-mother who nursed me as a baby just like my mother is nursing my children. It has a specific meaning in the Ngweh language spoken by the Bangwa clan.  Nven means plants and Nkeng or Keng refers to the Peace plant. Therefore, Nvenakeng means a symbol of peace. Of all the plants in the forest, I am that which brings peace and harmony to its folks.

The peace plant (Lucky  Bamboo)– called Nkeng or Keng, in the Ngweh dialect.

During the ‘Graffy’ (Grassland Bantu clan) tribal wars around the 50s, the peace plant - Nkeng was used to make appeasement. During tribal wars if your opponent comes out with the Nkeng plant, you were not allowed to harm him, the war has come to an end and only a peaceful resolution will be sorted. Today it is use to settle dispute and restore peace and harmony in many Graffy clans. This plant is also use to evoke peace and blessing when Twins/Triplets are born most especially during the Essieh dance – a special dance in the Bangwa tribe to welcome twins/triplets.

Suzanne is my Christian name meaning ‘Graceful Lily’. According to SHEKNOWS (2013),people with this name have a deep inner desire to serve humanity and to give to others by sharing money, knowledge and experience, or creative and artistic ability. People with this name tend to initiate events, to be leaders rather than followers, with powerful personalities. They tend to be focused on specific goals, experience a wealth of creative new ideas, and have the ability to implement these ideas with efficiency and determination. They tend to be courageous and sometimes aggressive. As unique, creative individuals, they tend to resent authority.

Awung is a short-cut of my family name which is Awunganyi. 'Anyi' refers to mother of twins/triplets/quadruplets while 'Awung' means catering for or taking care of. So Awunganyi literally refers to a person that caters for the mother of twins/triplets (Anyi) and her offspring. In Bangwa tribe, this refers to someone who has a strong desire to serve humanity, to cater for and improve the livelihood of the community.

I have grown not only to bear these names, but wish to keep and above all deserve them. I did not choose any of these names, but yet have grown to understand their meaning and that is just who I am. This is the purpose of my being and I call on you all to join me in serving humanity, lifting each other on our way up. Support us have control over the odds so as to achieve TFGH’s objectives. 

Thank you for leading the change,

Dr. Nvenakeng Suzanne Awung