- By Nformi Sonde Kinsai
The Government of Cameroon, through the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MINADER), in partnership with the United Nations system and with support from the Joint SDG Fund and the European Union, has launched the CONVERGEFOOD Joint Programme and the implementation phase of the Scalable Success Model (SSM) project in Yaounde.
The high-level event marks a significant milestone in advancing food systems transformation in Cameroon, said Gianluca Ferrera, the Representative and Country Director of the World Food Programme (WFP) Cameroon.
The initiative aims to strengthen agricultural value chains, expand access to finance, and connect small holder farmers and agri-enterprises to reliable and inclusive markets, particularly in underserved and last-mile areas, the statement notes.
The launch brought together senior government officials; representatives from the United Nations Resident Coordinator’s Office; United Nations agencies including WFP, FAO, UNEP, UNIDO, and UNCDF; the European Union; development partners; financial institutions; private sector actors; and cooperatives.
The Minister of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises, Achilles Bassilekin, used the occasion to present the Presidential initiative to support cooperatives and small and medium-sized enterprises in order to improve revenues and employment for youth and women in rural areas.
Meanwhile, in his CONVERGEFOOD and SSM project launching speech, Cameroon’s Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Gabriel Mbairobe, highlighted the three priorities of Convergence. They include: the Rice Value Chain, Agroecological Production of staples and livestock, and Import Substitution and local market activation.
He equally spoke of investment priorities for Food Systems in Cameroon for 2026–2027, notably Food Value Chains for Predictable Markets, and De-risking Private Sector Investments.
Other speakers at the event included: the UN Resident Coordinator, Dr Issa Sanogo; the Secretary of the Global Flagship Initiative on Food Security, Dr Conrad Rein; Head of Cooperation, European Union Delegation to Cameroon, Stephen Peedell; the Spanish Ambassador to Cameroon, H.E. Juan Pedro Perez-Gomez; and the MINADER Scribe and Food Systems National Convener, Prof. Grace Mbong.