A/HRC/22/50/Add.2
the livelihood of the local population, or report embezzlement or the misuse of Government
revenue. The Special Rapporteur had separate meetings with the authorities about these
matters. He recalls the obligations established under the Declaration on the Right and
Responsibility of Individuals, Groups and Organs of Society to Promote and Protect
Universally Recognized Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, adopted by the United
Nations General Assembly by its resolution 53/144 of 8 March 1999, as well as the
importance of ensuring access to independent and impartial justice in the context of
defending the right to food.
24.
The Special Rapporteur invites the countries of origin of foreigners that invest in the
agro-industry, forestry and extractive industry sectors in Cameroon to provide local
communities with all relevant information so that these communities can contribute to the
implementation of the procedures established under domestic law to give effect to the
United Nations Convention against Corruption. In this way, they can meet their obligation
to actively involve civil society, non-governmental organizations and community-based
organizations in anti-corruption activities by, for example, offering them the opportunity to
report offences anonymously (art. 13).
IV.
Elements of the right to food
25.
The Special Rapporteur’s mission in July 2012, at a time when prices of agrifood
products on the international market look set to rise once again, provides an opportunity to
review three important aspects of the realization of the right to food: improving the
availability of food in the territory; improving access to food; and ensuring the
environmental sustainability of choices made in regard to food security.
A.
Availability
26.
Sixty per cent of the Cameroonian population (12 million inhabitants) depend on
small-scale agriculture, livestock farming and fishing for their livelihood. The majority are
small farmers who produce food crops, but also some cash crops (mainly cocoa, coffee and
cotton). A number of large-scale farmers and agribusinesses produce crops on an industrial
scale, some of which are for export (bananas, sugar, rubber, tea, palm oil). Cameroon is
able to produce a wide range of crops because of the diverse agro-climatic conditions in the
country. It serves as a hub for trade with neighbouring countries.
27.
In the 2009 Growth and Employment Strategy Document, the objective established
for Cameroon is that of increasing agricultural output and the amount of land under
cultivation by 30 per cent over 2005 levels. The strategy has two main elements. The first
consists in promoting the development of large-scale farming, notably by attracting foreign
investors. The second includes a large number of initiatives and programmes (64 in total,
according to the information received) to modernize the family farming model by
encouraging farmers to join cooperatives or community groups and by facilitating access to
agricultural inputs.
28.
The Special Rapporteur commends the Government on the commitment it has made
to providing better support to small producers, many of whom are food insecure for at least
part of the year and thus rightly deserve to receive special attention. He wishes to make the
observations set out below.
29.
Targeting. The Government wishes both to encourage large-scale agricultural
farming and to support the majority of small-scale farmers. In order to maintain a balanced
allocation of available budgetary resources to these two groups, information should be
provided in the Strategy Document to clarify the key criteria for allocating Government
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