Resumen de Farmland Fragmentation, crop diversification and incomes in Cameroon, a Congo Basin country
Francis Ebai Ndip, Ernest L. Molua, Meyo-Elise Stephanie Mvodo, Robert Nkendah, Raoul Fani Djomo Choumbou, Rayner Tabetando, Nina Fabinin Akem
Land fragmentation and crop diversification are salient issues in sub-Saharan agriculture. Smallholder farmers in the Congo basin countries are challenged to provide diverse household food needs though they are constrained by a plethora of factors such as inadequate access to improved technologies, absence of markets, and climate change. Diversification is employed as a plausible strategy to simultaneously attain farm objectives, while insuring against exogenous challenges. This study explores the relationship between land fragmentation and crop diversification, using survey data from Cameroon. The Poisson regression model is employed to assess the relationship between fragmentation and crop diversification. The results indicate that fragmentation positively affects crop diversification and farmers with more fragmented lands are more likely to diversify than those with fewer fragmented lands. These results highlight some of the benefits associated with careful land fragmentation by farm families, and provide information to consider when planning agricultural land consolidation in the region.
