Wheat import-substitution and competitiveness for cassava, plantain and sweet potatobased bread flour in Cameroon.

Abstract

This study aims to document the renewal of an import-substitution food policy in Cameroon. It examines how the production of bread flour from local food crops like cassava, plantain and sweet potato can become competitive with imported wheat. This study uses a food chain and cluster analysis framework, coupled with primary and secondary databases and surveys. The results confirm the trend towards wheat imports, with risks on future food sovereignty. However, it will be difficult to focus solely on the objective of substituting imported flour. Domestic production of cassava, plantain and sweet potato still provides little surplus to meet the needs of industrial production of bread flour. Nevertheless, these results confirm the opportunity to develop clusters made up of small processing units that add value to a diversity of local products from tropical starch products.