The crowding-out effect is an economic theory which argues that, “rising public sector spending can drive down private sector spending”. If we flip the coin, we can say “rising investments and spending on positive community initiatives, can drive down negative community effects of the crisis”. The particularity of the negative aspects of the “Cameroon Anglophone Crisis” is that, they are embedded in the communities. So, remedial actions should be community based, in order to have the greatest chance of “crowding-out” the negatives.
1. Understanding the Theory of Crowding-Out:
Suppose you and your five friends decide to enjoy a beautiful weekend day in a nearby park. There’s plenty of space on the grass, and the six of you find a nice spot to lay out your blankets for a picnic. Suddenly, a bus of 200 tourists shows up, and the park is full to bursting. There’s now diminished room for anyone to enjoy the space, so you and your five friends pack up and leave.
Applying the “crowding-out” effect to help resolve the effects of the Crisis, supposes the tourists from the bus to be; increased livelihoods activities; social, economic, natural resources management; — when these are increased and beneficiaries start making money and spending it, the negative effects of the crisis are like you and your five friends – you either pack up and leave, or gradually face a diminished scope of operation.
I partly use here, the Korup National Park landscape in Ndian to argue that, one way to significantly diminish the negative effects of the crisis on ordinary people, as Policy seeks for lasting solutions, can come through “the crowing-out effect” – multiplying Sustainable Development activities; agriculture, community forestry, eco-tourism, community development, environmental education and natural resources management, etc. which are community driven.
2. Some Public & Private Initiatives with Community Impacts
So, “crowding-out” the bad is one way to diminish the effects of the Crisis on the communities. To this end I outline here a number of ongoing programmes, and initiatives in gestation which if supported, expanded and sustained will strengthen livelihoods in parts of Ndian and continue to “crowd-out” the negative effects of the crisis.
2.1. Roads Infrastructure:
The Cameroon Government has taken on the construction of the Kumba – Ekondo titi road. This 60 km+ road will better connect Cameroon to Afrca’s biggest market (Nigeria) through the river port in Ekondo titi. This leaves only another 60+ km of sandy road to the Divisional Capital of Mundemba. It is a huge boost to community-based economic activities, especially food, cash-crop production and small trading. The crowding-out effect will be multiplied many-fold as companies like Pamol and Oil Palm small-holders, supply the internal markets.
There is also credible information that maintenance of the other critical roads; Mundemba – Akwa and Mundemba – Toko – Dikome Balue will be underway soon. Infact the tarring of the Kumba – Ekondo road will make these other infrastructure projects much easier to implement.
2.2. Agricultural Development.
(i) Agro-Industries
Pamol Plantations Plc is the leading agricultural development entity in Ndian. Pamol Plantations comes into the rest of 2024 and beyond, riding on the head winds of a prestigious Award for Innovation and Resilience for 2023 by the Guardian Post News Paper. This dynamic team maintains an active work-force of over 1000, and is increasing steadily. Expansion and sustenance of Pamol, multiplies into support for hundreds of small-holders who sell to Pamol and thereafter access the national markets for better prices and sustainable livelihoods.
(ii) Food Production
In partnership with Pamol, the Ministry of Agriculture (MINADER) launched the “Feed Mundemba Initiative”. The goal here is to reach 100 farmer households and plant over 50,000 plantain/Banana seedlings by end of 2024. It is envisaged, to sustain the Plantain/Banana Initiative and to expand it to other food sectors. To achieve this the soil fertility challenges around Mundemba in particular need to be resolved.
(iii) Climate Smart Agriculture
To support the Feed Mundemba Initiative Pamol Plantations Plc is actively nursing a relationship with the private sector company FACET POWER toward the production of high-quality Biochar with which to supplement/replace traditional fertilizers and improve soil fertility, and also store carbon in the ratio; 1t of Biochar to 3r of Carbon; thereby improve soil fertility, help mitigate run-away climate change, and negotiate payments from voluntary markets for the stored carbon which will be fed back into the food production system. Once this is rolled out, a significant amount of hardship, poverty and strife, resulting from the crisis will be “crowded-out”
2.3. Natural Resources Management.
(i) A UNESCO WHS:
This is an especially important and critical area with huge potentials for crowding out hardship and negativity driving the crisis in the hinterlands of Ndian. Ndian is home to the Korup National Park, the Oldest Rainforest National Park in Cameroon, created in 1986 by Presidential Decree. In July 23 2023 the Korup National Park became the center-piece of a UNESCO man and Biosphere World Heritage Site with the goal to improve livelihoods while safeguarding natural and managed ecosystems.
(ii) The PSMNR-SWR
Very significantly, since 2006 the Programme for the Sustainable Management of Natural resources in the Southwest region (PSMNR-SWR), with support from the International Organization WWF has been implementing natural resources management in the Korup Rainforest landscape. The PSMNR-SWR is the only such programme in Cameroon, and receives funding from the German Government through KfW. The PSMNR-SWR is a Development Programme of the Government of Cameroon and the only Externally Financed initiative of MINFOF examined by the Audit Bench of the Supreme Court in 2019. The PSMNR-SWR implements a unique Collaborative Management Programme by directly involving local communities in the management of natural resources. At least four local Civil Society Organizations covering; sustainable tourism, Biomonitoring, Livelihoods and Environmental Education are listed by the PSMNR-SWR for the Korup National Park landscape as Local Support Organizations. The multi-million Dollars Phases V and VI of the PSMNR-SWR has already begun in 2022 and will last for five years. This is enough time to significantly crowd-out negative effects of the crisis in the community through these livelihoods activities. To this end, the current Conservator – Korup National Park is poised to facilitate the mobilization of these four CSOs through operational MoUs with the PSMNR-SWR.
(iii) Species Conservation and Sustainable Financing for OECM
There are other smaller initiatives under development, which will add to the package to “crowd-out” negative impacts of the crisis on the livelihoods of the people in these parts of Ndian. For instance, the Conservator is engaging vigorously with UNESCO for local livelihoods projects. The Mohamed Bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund is providing small support for the conservation of the Red Colobus Monkey as a flagship, critically endangered species outside the Korup National Park. The Bobombi Wa Batanga Cultural Association in collaboration with sister communities of Ngolo, Bakoko, Bima, Korup, Balue and Upper Balong is well advanced towards putting in place a functional Sustainable Financing Scheme (Conservation Trust Fund) for the In-Situ Conservation and Valorization of Anonidium manii (Bobombi – Junglesop) using the OECM approach.
The logic here is that, as successful Initiatives are multiplied and sustained, working in synergy, the negative effects of the Crisis will be effectively crowded-out. In isolation no single initiative can have the desired impacts – together they can!
There are other community-based approaches planned and ongoing which when fully operational will increase the critical mass of economic, social and cultural activities, that together will significantly “crowd-out” the negative effects of the crisis.
Author: Peter Ngembeni MBILE. Peter is a Cameroonian and holds a PhD in Forest Policy and Economics. He is a Sustainable Development Specialist, a Southern Cameroons History Enthusiast and a Political Commentator.
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