The Agricultural Infrastructure and Value Chain Development Project (AIVDP) is an agricultural production and value chain development NGO that mainly focuses on exploiting the agricultural sector to generate income and create jobs for the rural population particularly the youth and women. The design is centred on developing the value chain of cocoa, oil palm, cassava and rice through improved production, processing/transformation techniques as well as efficient and organized marketing channels. It will also support the production of plantains, groundnut, potatoes and citrus. These diverse set of crops are intended to buffer the farmers from external shocks (climate and market related) and also enhance their nutritional security. To facilitate the transportation of farm inputs and produce, as well as a harmonious human development, significant support will also be accorded to the agricultural and social infrastructure. The project structure comprises of four technical components and a Project Management and Support component. Project activities will be carried out through various implementation partners, service providers and beneficiaries.

The NGO’s overall goal is to contribute to inclusive growth through enhanced agricultural productivity and value chain development. The development objectives are to: i. increase incomes of smallholder farmers and agriculture service providers; ii. ii. Improve access to basic social/public infrastructure and services (water and sanitation, basic education and basic health); iii. iii. Facilitate the development of rural enterprises and institutions involved in the crop value chain; iv. iv. Enhance the capacity (operational and institutional) of smallholder farmers and cooperatives in undertaking rural development projects.

The realization of the objectives of AIVDP will be through the implementation of the following five components: a) Value Addition and Market Access b) Agricultural Productivity Enhancement c) Basic Social/Public Infrastructure and Services d) Capacity Building and Institutional Development and e) Project Management and Coordination

Value Addition and Market Access A.) the construction/rehabilitation of 290km of farm-to-market roads; construction 30 rural markets and 30 farm-gate sheds The implementation of a rural microfinance scheme with a line of credit of FCFA 2.1 billion, the construction semi-industrial processing units for oil palm, cocoa, cassava, rice and warehouses for potato. Agricultural Production and Productivity B.) the construction of an irrigation network in 200 ha of arable land, production and sale at subsidized rates of improved planting materials and provision of farming inputs (1,000,000) oil palm chitted nuts (pre-germinated nuts), six million (6,000,000) cassava cuttings, three million (3,000,000) seedlings of cocoa, seventy three (73) tons of rice seed, six hundred (600) tons of potato seed, seven hundred thousand (700,000) suckers of plantain, one hundred and twenty (120) tons of groundnut seeds, twenty one thousand (21,000) citrus seedlings. Different fertilizers and pesticides). Basic Social/public Infrastructure and services C.) the construction / rehabilitation of thirty two (32) potable water supply schemes, construction of fifty (50) Ventilated Improved Pit (VIP) latrines; promote the protection of fifty (50) water catchment areas, support community social infrastructures ( construction / rehabilitation of ten (10) double classroom blocks, seven (7) health centers, and seven (7) multi-purpose community empowerment centers). Capacity Building and Institutional Development D.) Build the capabilities of farmers, cooperatives, and other stakeholders on value chain activities in domains of production, processing and marketing, sensitization and advocacy activities to ensure community and stakeholder participation (organize over 200 training workshops for farmers, cooperatives, village development committees and other implementation partners, exchange visits for cooperatives to gauge how other cooperatives are organized, particularly in relation to processing).

Activities will be implemented in the South-West Region of Cameroon, which is predominantly an agricultural area of the Country. The intervention of AIVDP will be concentrated in the production basins along the principal road corridors of the Region. These corridors are: the Bamenda – Mamfe – Ekok, the Kumba – Mamfe, the Mutengene – Kumba; Mutengene –Idenau, the Loum- Tombel – Kumba – Mundemba and the isolated rice and potatoes production basin of Akwaya and Nkongle respectively. The project area has been carved out into nine production basins. The total surface area of project intervention is estimated at about 14,500 km2 with a population of about 1.5 million inhabitants and touching about 600 communities out of the 960 that make the South West Region. The Project area has an active youth, representing about 60% and 52% of the overall population are women.

-Fako Mountain Basin -Lakes Basin -Mungo Basin -Ndian Basin -Nguti Basin -Cross River Basin -Mbio Basin -Nkongleh Basin -Akwaya Basin

At the global level, the Project is aligned with the agenda of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) and will significantly contribute in the achievement of several of these objectives for the Country, notably: SDG-1 (extreme poverty eradication SDG2 (End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture), SDG-3 (Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages) SDG-4 (Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all), SDG-5 (Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls), SDG-6 (Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all), SDG-8 (Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all), SDG-9 (Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation). At the national level, the Project is also aligned with Vision 35 and will significantly contribute in the achievement of several of its objectives in the Region, notably sections II.3.1 (Reducing poverty to minimal levels with sector objectives as: making the population a real factor for development, promoting the generation of a critical mass of decent jobs) II.3.2 (Becoming a middle-income country with sector objectives as: improving economic productivity, stepping up investments in infrastructure and productive sectors) and II.3.3 (Becoming an industrialised Country with sector objectives as: developing a sound, competitive and diversified manufacturing sector, collecting savings, financing growth and development)

Institute of Agricultural Research for Development (IRAD) ,PAMOL Plantations Plc (PAMOL), South West Association of Village Banks (SWAVIB), Cocoa Coffee Seedling Project (CCSP), NGOs

The initiative will take place over a period of 5 years.

80% of the rural population depend on agriculture as their main source of income.

Current variations in climatic conditions compared to what has been previously witnessed, have caused plants to change their photosynthetic conditions to adapt to these patterns. In the process they change their flowering and physiological activities. Certain crops require a certain number of sunlight hours in order for them to manifest, and if not reached can affect fruiting, food production and yield. Sporadic climate patterns also affects agricultural activities as unpredictable rainfall patterns, make it difficult for farmers to determine when to prepare their land for farming therefore disrupting food production and threatening food self-sufficiency strategies. As crop scarcity continues market prices for crops increase making crops which were once affordable, far more expensive.

Plantains, groundnuts, citrus, and Irish potatoes

Improved varieties are materials that have undergone research and development taking into account (climatic and environmental considerations) to create specific crop lines that are found to have high production and productivity in specific ecological zones. These varieties contain characteristics such as having high tolerance to the mosaic virus, being high yielding , having a shorter lifespan and early maturity.

The mosaic virus is parasite that infects the vegetation on a molecular level until vegetation is unable to continue thriving. High tolerance to the virus means that the seeds runs low risks of incurring crop damage as they mature. Seeds which are high yielding increase the amount of crops farmers can cultivate thus allowing them to sell higher amounts and increasing profitability. Early maturity also fosters shorter cultivation periods where farmers can harvest crop more rapidly. However, early maturity requires farmers to harvest on time to prevent crops from rotting.

Irrigation is the artificial application of water to soil through various systems of tubes, pumps, and sprayers. It is usually used when there are inadequate amounts of water to support crop growth. This may be due to rainy and dry seasons, drought or arid/semi-arid climate conditions. Irrigation systems may also be used to maintain consistent moisture levels even in areas with moderate precipitation levels as it has been shown to improve crop performance. In cases where there is high salinity levels (high concentration of solute salts including Na+, Ca2+, and Mg2+ in soils), irrigation systems are used also. High soil salinity levels can be a natural occurrence associated in many- semi-arid and arid locations or as result of poor agricultural practices and ineffective drainage. In cases impacted by salt levels in the soil, irrigation must often be coupled with drainage in order to achieve the desired benefits.

These are a set of activities that an individual or in the case of the project, a cooperative, executes to create value for its product and for its customers. Specifically, value chain in Agriculture describes the range of activities and actors that bring agricultural products, from; production to final consumption wherein at each stage value is added to the product.

The process of turning cassava in into Gari. The process begins with requiring cassava cuttings to be planted, then cassava to be harvested, processed, packaged and sent to the consumer. All of these stages include actors that have added value at each stage of the process to prepare product for consumption.

An organization established for the purpose of collecting and marketing the product of its members (shareholders) and procuring supplies for resale to its members (in the form of patronage dividends) which refers to the amount or volume of business that each member transacts with the cooperative. Cooperative= doing business together

Agricultural Cooperatives are created to: -Obtain needed products (goods) and services at affordable prices and acceptable quality -To strengthen their bargaining power -Receive better prices for their produce and products -Maintain access to competitive markets -Improve income opportunities -Empower people to make meaningful decision to improve their quality of life. -Benefit from economies of scale -Improve the product or service quality provided by the members -Promote savings of its members which can act as collateral to members for loans requested

Gender mainstreaming in community sensitization in project activities entails that women, men, girls and boys of beneficiary communities receive the necessary information concerning the project. Women, men, girls and boys should likewise participate and benefit from opportunities provided by the project

Women often have less access to productive resources and services (land, modern inputs, technology, education and credit) -all that are critical for agricultural production.

A social construct used to describe all socially given attributes, roles, activities and responsibilities connected to being male or female in a society. Gender roles, activities and responsibilities are acquired during the socialization process and can be changed.

It ensures that all beneficiaries/community members (women, men, girls and boys) have EQUAL opportunities to participate, make decisions and benefit from project activities.