FAO Launches Green Cities Initiative in Cameroon to Promote Sustainable Urban Development

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has launched the Green Cities initiative in Cameroon as part of efforts to support sustainable urban development in the country. The initiative is being implemented under the Cameroon Emergency Food Crisis Response Project, which is receiving $2.92 million in funding from the World Bank.

FAO Director-General Qu Dongyu signed an agreement with the Cameroonian government to provide support through the PULCCA Project. The project aims to strengthen sustainable food production and enhance the resilience of farmers to the impacts of climate change. "FAO's intervention will include the procurement and distribution of agricultural inputs and equipment, support for livestock production, and technical assistance to strengthen farmers' resilience to climate change," according to the agreement.

The Green Cities initiative will focus on four key components: supporting food and nutrition stabilization, strengthening smallholder production capacities, supporting community preparedness and early warning systems, and project management, monitoring, and evaluation. Small-scale farmers, with 60% of the beneficiaries being women, are the primary target of the project.

Why this matters: The launch of the Green Cities initiative in Cameroon highlights the significance of sustainable urban development in the face of climate change. By supporting sustainable food production and enhancing farmers' resilience, the project has the potential to improve food security and livelihoods in urban areas of Cameroon.

The initiative comes as a response to the impacts of the climate crisis on the agriculture sector in Cameroon, including livestock and fisheries, as well as other key areas such as health. "The climate crisis has impacted the agriculture sector, including livestock and fisheries, as well as other key areas such as health," Qu Dongyu noted during the signing of the agreement.

The Cameroon Emergency Food Crisis Response Project, funded by the World Bank, aims to address these challenges by providing support to small-scale farmers and strengthening their resilience to climate change. With 60% of the beneficiaries being women, the project also has a strong focus on gender equality and empowering women in the agriculture sector.

Key Takeaways

• FAO launched Green Cities initiative in Cameroon to support sustainable urban development.
• $2.92 million World Bank-funded project aims to strengthen food production and farmer resilience.
• Initiative focuses on food security, smallholder production, early warning systems, and project management.
• 60% of beneficiaries are women, emphasizing gender equality in the agriculture sector.
• Project responds to climate crisis impacts on Cameroon's agriculture, livestock, fisheries, and health.