Agriculture and Poverty Reduction in Cameroon

Abstract

Purpose: The main objective of this study is to determine the contribution of agriculture to poverty reduction by determining the degree of extension of individual wealth in relation to the increase in agricultural added value.

Methodology: Using data from the World Bank (WDI 2020) and FOASTAT from 1980 to 2018, GDP per capita (indicator for measuring the level of development noted as GDP/H) is regressed on the added value of the agriculture in millions of dollars (AVA) and other variables such as gross national savings (GNS), added value of industries (AVI), and imports of goods and services (IGS).

Findings: The main estimation results of the multiple regression model by ordinary least squares, the overall significance of which is 5%, indicate that: i) a unit increase in agricultural value added stimulates individual wealth by 0.0594 thousand dollars; ii) a unit increase in gross national savings in turn causes an increase of 0.185 thousand dollars in GDP per capita, iii) the agricultural value added positively influences gross domestic product per capita as well as gross national savings.

Unique contribution to theory, practice and policy: Thus, for a better standard of living through the increase in GDP per capita, Cameroonian agricultural products must undergo strong transformations in order to generate added values ​​with multiplier effects on individual incomes. Thus, the population must be encouraged to further stimulate their national savings.