Farmland Fragmentation, crop diversification and incomes in Cameroon, a Congo Basin country

Land fragmentation and crop diversification are salient issues in sub-Saharan agriculture. Smallholder farmers in the Congo basin countries are challenged to provide diverse household food needs though they are constrained by a plethora of factors such as inadequate access to improved technologies, absence of markets, and climate change. Diversification is employed as a plausible strategy to simultaneously attain farm objectives, while insuring against exogenous challenges. This study explores the relationship between land fragmentation and crop diversification, using survey data from Cameroon. The Poisson regression model is employed to assess the relationship between fragmentation and crop diversification. The results indicate that fragmentation positively affects crop diversification and farmers with more fragmented lands are more likely to diversify than those with fewer fragmented lands. These results highlight some of the benefits associated with careful land fragmentation by farm families, and provide information to consider when planning agricultural land consolidation in the region.

Automated summary

Land fragmentation and crop diversification are important issues in sub-Saharan agriculture, particularly among smallholder farmers in Congo basin countries who face challenges in providing diverse household food needs. This study in Cameroon uses survey data to explore the relationship between land fragmentation and crop diversification. The results indicate that higher levels of land fragmentation positively influence crop diversification, suggesting that more fragmented lands are associated with greater likelihood of diversification. These findings provide valuable insights for land consolidation planning in the region.