In the great equatorial forest of eastern Cameroon, the Baka people have lived for centuries in harmony with the environment, hunting and gathering and relying on nature's abundance for their food and way of life.

But in recent years, several events have led to mounting pressure on natural resources. Frequent climate shocks, such as droughts and floods, economic instability, encroachment on territories and conflicts - both within the country and in neighboring Central African Republic - have triggered a massive influx of refugees and internally displaced people.

For the Baka living in Mayos, a village in Dimako district with nearly 600 inhabitants, the impact has been profound. Food scarcity has meant long treks into the forest. Children have missed school to join their parents in search of cassava leaves, sometimes walking more than 50 kilometers. Baka elders fear their traditional knowledge is disappearing, with no clear alternative.

"Today, we live from farming, but that wasn't always the case. Our parents lived from hunting, gathering and foraging," recalls Dieudonné Noutcheguenou, Elder within the Baka people in Mayos.

New opportunities for resilience

Between April 2024 and June 2025, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), in partnership with the Government of Cameroon and with World Bank funding, implemented the Emergency Project to Combat the Food Crisis in Cameroon (PULCCA), offering training on new options of producing food for households hit hardest by climate shocks.

In Mayos, the Baka people received structured, participatory support that blended traditional knowledge with modern agricultural techniques. Production kits distributed included plantain and cassava cuttings, yam seedlings, small ruminants and poultry. More than 30 training sessions introduced farming and beekeeping practices adapted to local conditions.

From the outset, FAO prioritized consultation with the Baka people and communication in their language. The Baka people are central to the project's monitoring committees, helping tailor interventions while respecting traditional know-how.

FAO Representative in Cameroon, Antonio Querido, emphasizes, "PULCCA is not only an emergency response to the food crisis. It is a commitment to strengthen the resilience of communities in situations of vulnerability, especially Indigenous Peoples, so that they become full actors in their own development."

The project also implemented a farmer field school dedicated to cassava cultivation, which now serves as a collective learning space - a laboratory of shared knowledge where men and women experiment and exchange ideas.

Beekeeping has opened a new economic path and provided incomes that have boosted school attendance and nutrition.

"Before, collecting honey meant cutting trees and long, uncertain trips," says Angoula Nestor, a new Baka beekeeper. "Now, with training and protective gear, we harvest clean, high-quality honey and earn enough to support our families. I really enjoy this activity and hope to learn how to build hives myself so I can become self-sufficient."

Mama Angelina Efouma, a grandmother in her seventies caring for 10 grandchildren, says: "My main concern is being able to keep working and feeding my family." She considers this project a lifeline. "I'm still active. I know the land well. I plant cassava and macabo. This project helps us enormously."

Today in Mayos, cassava, once scarce, is grown locally. Honey, harvested safely, has become a source of income and pride.

As Elder Noutcheguenou says, "This project allows us to produce for ourselves, without depending on others. Our children can eat at home and go to school more easily. It's a real step forward for our village."

A total of 374 people have directly benefited from the project. In total, the PULCCA project has reached nearly 25 000 households across the eastern region departments of Lom-et-Djerem, Haut-Nyong, Boumba-et-Ngoko and Kadey.

The story and photos can be found here: https://www.fao.org/newsroom/story/dwindling-abundance/en