The implementation of the second phase of the “Enhancing Community Livelihoods and Forest Resilience through Cooperative-Led Agricultural Value Chain Development and Agroforestry Scaling in the Etinde Community Forest” project has reached a key milestone with the establishment of the Etinde Multipurpose Farmers’ Cooperative Society.
The cooperative was officially constituted during a General Assembly of project beneficiaries, providing a governance framework to strengthen accountability, ownership and sustainability of the initiative being implemented by the Forestry, Agriculture, Animal and Fishery Network (FAAFNET) and its funding partners, GEF Small Grants Programme and UNDP.
The development comes barely a month after the project’s launch in Buea. The initiative seeks to improve livelihoods while promoting sustainable management of the Mount Etinde Community Forest through climate-smart agriculture, agroforestry and cooperative-led agricultural value chains.
Speaking after the General Assembly, FAAFNET Chief Executive Officer, Lyonga William, said the cooperative addresses governance challenges identified during the first phase of the project.
“This is a major milestone,” he said. “We realised there were gaps in communication, governance and ownership. The cooperative provides the structure needed to manage the project effectively.”
Members elected a Board of Directors and a Supervisory Board, while four specialised committees on Finance, Production and Processing, Agroforestry, and Training were also established. The committees will oversee the cooperative’s activities and support the recruitment of a manager to run its day-to-day operations.
Lyonga said the new structure would also ensure better management of project assets.
“In the past, equipment was distributed directly to individuals, but the results were not satisfactory. This time, the equipment will belong to the cooperative, ensuring collective ownership, accountability and better results,” he explained.
FAAFNET also announced provision of several assets, grinding mills, wheelbarrows, machetes, hoes, housing containers to host infrastructures, office equipment, and several others that give the cooperative what it needs to kick off immediately with little or no huddles.
The General Assembly also featured training sessions aimed at strengthening members’ skills. Farmers received practical training on value addition for maize, cassava and plantain, which are the community’s main staple crops. They also received training on agroforestry, which promotes integrating crops, trees and livestock on the same land.
According to Lyonga, participants were encouraged to maximise agricultural resources by converting crop by-products, including cassava peels and plantain waste, into animal feed, thereby reducing waste while increasing farm productivity.
As part of the programme, FAAFNET distributed 200 kilograms of maize seed, with each of the 200 beneficiaries receiving two kilograms. The beneficiaries comprise 150 women, 25 men and 25 youths. Cassava cuttings will be distributed later because the current planting season is already advanced, while plantain suckers supplied during the project’s first phase are expected to enable farmers to expand their plantations.
The cooperative is expected to strengthen agricultural production, improve livelihoods and reinforce community efforts to conserve the Mount Etinde Community Forest for future generations.
