Cassava Processing and Marketing by Rural Women in the Central Region of Cameroon

Abstract

This study examines the development of rural women's commercial activities in Central Cameroon, particularly the Department of Lekié, which is adjacent to Yaoundé, the capital of Cameroon. I focused on cassava processing technologies and the sale of cassavabased processed foods undertaken by women in a suburban farming village. Cassava is one of the main staple foods in central Cameroon, including in urban areas. One of its characteristics is that it keeps for a long period in the ground but deteriorates rapidly after being dug from the ground. For that reason, cassava is mostly processed and sold, especially to urban food distributors. Cassava processing is based on local women's labor, and their domestic technologies are difficult to practice in a city. In the study area, cassava-based food processing is used to prepare products for sale in the village. In recent years, with urbanization and changes in traffic conditions, it has also been commercialized in urban areas, and this change has resulted in the reevaluation of local processing technologies. Food processing using domestic technology ensures marketability in cities. Urban demand for processed foods produced in villages has increased the range of options for village women who sell such products.