Cameroon is launching four green projects funded to the tune of USD 60 million (33.2 billion FCFA) as part of a partnership with the Central African Forest Initiative (CAFI). This pilot initiative, covering 2025-2028, aims to reconcile sustainable agriculture with the preservation of the Congo Basin in the face of rampant deforestation.

Details of the four projects

The Cameroonian Ministry of Economy officially launched these programs on February 20, 2026, in Yaoundé, with donors such as GIZ, IFAD, and KfW.

• Project 1 (GIZ, 9.5 billion FCFA): Promotes intersectoral dialogue and the alignment of public policies on forests, agriculture, and land-use planning.
• Project 2 (IFAD, 12 billion FCFA): Supports agroecological intensification in rural areas to limit the expansion of extensive agriculture, which is responsible for more than 60% of deforestation.
• Project 3 (KfW, 11 billion FCFA, until 2029): Integrated landscape management of the Greater Mbam region, testing the balance between agricultural production, forest conservation, and local development.
• Project 4 (GIZ, 4 billion FCFA): Strengthens land-use planning capacities, supports local land-use plans, and prepares the third national forest inventory.

These initiatives aim to halt and reverse forest cover loss by promoting natural regeneration and the protection of wetlands.

Challenges of deforestation in Cameroon

Cameroon loses approximately 110,000 hectares of forest annually, primarily due to extensive agriculture and artisanal gold mining. In the East, as in the Kadey department, gold panning has exploded by 5,490% between 2010 and 2024, converting 2,025 hectares of arable land and 2,614 hectares of forest into mining sites.

These pressures exacerbate food insecurity and degrade ecosystems, making a transition to sustainable models urgent.

Economic and Strategic Impact

These projects are part of the National Development Strategy 2030, which aims to improve rural incomes, create jobs, and reduce poverty in forest areas. The pilot phase (2025-2028) is a prerequisite for more substantial future funding, potentially up to 1,500 billion FCFA through CAFI.

By focusing on agricultural intensification without expanding cultivated areas, they seek to generate income through sustainable farming practices, while aligning Cameroon with international climate commitments (REDD+). Success will depend on local governance and intersectoral coordination to counter illegal activities such as gold mining.