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With the TRANSFORM program, AFD and its partners are giving Cameroonian entrepreneurs the opportunity of bringing their initiatives to fruition. An innovative and effective way of reviving Cameroon’s agriculture sector, prior to extending the program to other countries.

Cameroon’s agribusiness sector benefits from a favorable ground: its urban market and agriculture sector are booming. However, farmers have difficulty finding sufficient outlets for their production, as they have limited access to the formal market. They consequently end up selling off their crops on the informal market at a cheap price. Farmers and small entrepreneurs in the sector also come up against barriers in obtaining supplies of agricultural raw materials, packaging… They also suffer from a lack of expertise and capital. Finally, small entities have trouble in expanding their activity.

AFD and the European Institute for Cooperation and Development (IECD) set out to remove these barriers by launching the TRANSFORM project in 2015. This original mechanism combats the insecurity of farmers by offering them more stable and lucrative outlets. Its action revolves around the TRANSFORM center: a place where farmers and agribusiness entrepreneurs interact. The center trains and provides individual support to partner farmers. It is also a laboratory to supervise the processing of local farming products and acts as an incubator for innovative agribusiness SMEs. Finally, it facilitates the transport of agricultural products and processed products to the large urban distribution centers.