Cameroon has successfully turned its 2021 National Food Systems Transition Roadmap into tangible results, demonstrating how political leadership, coordinated governance, and strategic financing can drive food systems transformation at scale. By establishing a National Convenor for Food Systems Transformation and creating inter-ministerial platforms, Cameroon has aligned multiple government agencies around national priorities, embedding food systems objectives into its National Development Strategy (SND30) and raising their political profile to the highest levels.
The country has also integrated climate, biodiversity, nutrition, and food security into a single national framework through the Food Systems Climate Action Convergence Action Blueprint, with priority areas including rice value chain development, agro-ecological production of staples and livestock, and national self-sufficiency. Cameroon’s Science-Policy-Society Interface (SPSI) links researchers, policymakers, and communities to ensure that decisions are grounded in evidence and local realities, while youth engagement is embedded in practical delivery through initiatives like the World Food Forum Cameroon National Chapter.
Implementation advanced with the launch of the CONVERGEFOOD Joint Programme in March 2026, addressing structural barriers for smallholder farmers such as low productivity, limited market access, post-harvest losses, and restricted financing, while aligning interventions with national food and climate priorities. Catalytic seed funding from the Joint SDG Fund unlocked further investment from the Global Flagship Initiative for Food Security, enabling the expansion from 44 cooperatives to over 380, and demonstrating a model for leveraging private sector financing and scaling impact.
Cameroon’s experience provides a replicable model for other governments and development partners, showing that coordinated institutions, converged agendas, evidence-based policymaking, catalytic funding, and meaningful youth participation can turn national strategies into measurable, scalable impact in food systems transformation.
