The Ngoro municipality, located about 160 km north of Yaoundé in the Mbam and Kim Division of Cameroon’s Centre Region, covers 1,576 km² and is made up of 24 villages with an estimated population of 20,829 inhabitants (PCD, 2022). Ngoro records one of the highest population growth rates in the Division, which increases pressure on natural resources. The landscape is largely covered by forests, interspersed with woody and grassy savannahs, and hosts important rivers such as the Pem, Djim, and Mbam (Ngoro Baseline Study, 2023).

 

1.       Background and Context

Ngoro has long been recognized as a major cocoa production basin within the Grand Mbam Landscape, which makes it a priority entry point for the Green Commodity Landscape Program (GCLP). The program aims to balance sustainable production, forest protection, and community inclusion. Agriculture, particularly cocoa, is the main livelihood for more than 90% of households, alongside cassava, banana/plantain, macabo, maize, and yams (Ngoro Baseline Study, 2023).

 

2.       Economic Characteristics

• Cocoa is the principal cash crop, cultivated on farms ranging from 1–3 hectares, with production often located in forest areas (92%) and to a lesser extent in woody savannahs (8%) (Ngoro Baseline Study, 2023).
• Food crops (cassava, plantain, maize, yams) play a critical role in household food security and income diversification. Cassava alone is produced at around 120 tonnes annually, processed into flour, fufu, and other derivatives sold locally and in Bafia, Yaoundé, and Bafoussam (MINADER, 2022).
• Livestock rearing (cattle, pigs, goats, poultry, and increasingly beekeeping) complements farming activities but also contributes to agro-pastoral conflicts in some areas (Ngoro Baseline Study, 2023).
• Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFPs) such as djansang (Ricinodendron heudoletti), bitter kola (Garcinia cola), wild mango (Irvingia gabonensis), medicinal plants, are important to household economies, especially for women (Ngoro Baseline Study, 2023).

Despite these opportunities, most households earn modest incomes: the majority range between 25,000 and 50,000 CFA/month (Ngoro Baseline Study, 2023). Poor road infrastructure, limited access to finance, and weak farmer organization reduce the profitability of agriculture.

 

3.       Environmental Profile

Ngoro lies at the transition between forest and savannah ecosystems, making it vulnerable to climate change and land degradation. Between 2000 and 2021, forest loss was estimated at more than 7,300 ha (Ngoro Baseline Study, 2023). The direct drivers of deforestation include slash-and-burn agriculture, expansion of cocoa farms, bushfires, and artisanal logging. Indirect drivers are population growth, migration linked to economic crisis, and poor infrastructure (Ngoro Baseline Study, 2023).

The landscape also harbors threatened species such as pangolins, gorillas, elephants, buffalo, and hippopotamus, alongside valuable timber species (Moabi, Sapelli, Ebony, Iroko) (IUCN, 2021; PCD, 2022).

 

4.       Social Profile

Ngoro is multi-ethnic, with Sanaga and Djanti communities as the main autochthones, alongside migrants (≈16% of the population). Vulnerable groups include the elderly and victims of violence, with women playing a central role in agriculture and household welfare (Ngoro Baseline Study, 2023). Women are involved in cocoa farms (often as labourers alongside men), cassava production, and small trade, though their access to credit and decision-making remains limited (Ngoro Baseline Study, 2023). Children also contribute labour in cocoa fields, mainly after school (28%) and during weekends (48%) (Ngoro Baseline Study, 2023).

 

5.       Key Sustainability Challenges

• High dependence on cocoa with limited diversification.
• Low productivity due to aging farms, pests, poor practices, and limited access to inputs.
• Deforestation and biodiversity loss from expansion into forests.
• Limited financial literacy and access to credit.
• Vulnerability to climate change (erratic rainfall, prolonged dry seasons, extreme temperatures) (Ngoro Baseline Study, 2023).

 

6.       Opportunities

With its strong agricultural base and active community, Ngoro offers opportunities to scale up sustainable cocoa and diversify into cassava, plantain, and market gardening. The Coalition is working to strengthen cooperatives, and pilot locally restoration.

By aligning with the Green Commodity Landscape Program, the Ngoro Coalition provides a model of integrated landscape governance that balances production, protection, and inclusion ensuring the sustainability of both livelihoods and ecosystems.