Farming Practices and Disease Prevalence among Urban Lowland Farmers in Cameroon, Central Africa

Annie Stephanie Nana, Timo Falkenberg, Andrea Rechenburg, Annet Adong, Anne Ayo, Pierre Nbendah and Christian Borgemeister
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Annie Stephanie Nana: Center for Development Research (ZEF), University of Bonn, 53113 Bonn, Germany
Timo Falkenberg: Center for Development Research (ZEF), University of Bonn, 53113 Bonn, Germany
Andrea Rechenburg: Institute of Hygiene and Public Health, Medical Faculty, University of Bonn, 53127 Bonn, Germany
Annet Adong: Center for Development Research (ZEF), University of Bonn, 53113 Bonn, Germany
Anne Ayo: Laboratory of Biotechnology and Environment, Department of Plant Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Yaoundé I, Yaoundé 812, Cameroon
Pierre Nbendah: Laboratory of Biotechnology and Environment, Department of Plant Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Yaoundé I, Yaoundé 812, Cameroon
Christian Borgemeister: Center for Development Research (ZEF), University of Bonn, 53113 Bonn, Germany

Agriculture, 2022, vol. 12, issue 2, 1-19

Abstract: Urban growth, coupled with increasing vegetable demand, has led to the utilization of lowlands in Cameroon for agricultural production. This study investigates the factors influencing the farming practices and the prevalence of diseases in vegetable producers through a cross-sectional survey of 130 farmers. Using logistic regression models, we found a positive association between education level and farm size with the overall quantity of fertilizer, both organic and mineral, used. Pesticide usage was positively associated with the number of years a farm had been cultivated, but it was negatively associated with land ownership. However, the number of years that farms had been cultivated was negatively associated with mineral fertilizer applications. In general, the prevalence of waterborne diseases was linked to the education level, while malaria prevalence was linked to the gender of the farmers. The location of cultivated areas significantly influenced the likelihood of reporting malaria and headaches. Despite the associated health risks, vegetable production is necessary for farmers’ livelihoods in the lowlands of Yaoundé. Therefore, policymakers should provide measures to optimize the benefits of urban agriculture, including training in safe farming techniques to minimize the associated health risks.

Keywords: urban agriculture; untreated water; lowlands; pesticides; human health; Cameroon (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q10 Q11 Q12 Q13 Q14 Q15 Q16 Q17 Q18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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