Women in the Production and Commercialisation of Agricultural Produce in Santa, 1986-2016

Abstract

Purpose: This study examines the evolving roles of women in agricultural production and commercialization in the Santa Sub-Division, Northwest Region of Cameroon, between 1986 and 2016. It explores how economic crisis and demographic changes shaped women’s transition from subsistence farming to central actors in the agricultural value chain. The research argues that the collapse of coffee prices in the late 1980s and civil service retrenchment triggered a gendered agricultural transformation. While scholarship acknowledges women’s contributions to African agriculture, localized longitudinal studies remain scarce. This study addresses that gap by tracing women’s agencies in the Bamenda Grassfields, highlighting their shift from laborers to managers, traders, and exporters.

Methodology: A multidisciplinary approach was employed, combining qualitative and quantitative methods. Primary data was collected through oral interviews with female farmers and traders, alongside archival sources such as personal record books. Secondary data included scholarly publications and reports.

Findings: Women in Santa pioneered large-scale cassava cultivation and intensive market gardening (carrots, leeks, cabbage), supported by cooperative labor groups known as “working bees.” They penetrated commercial networks as roadside vendors, wholesalers supplying Douala and Yaoundé, and exporters to neighboring countries. Their economic participation improved household welfare, particularly in education and healthcare, while reinforcing community resilience.

Contribution to Theory, Practice, and Policy: The study contributes to agrarian and gender studies by demonstrating how women’s agency reshaped agricultural economies under structural adjustment. It recommends strengthening women’s access to credit, extension services, and market infrastructure to consolidate gains and promote inclusive, gender-responsive agricultural development.