Cameroon sits on the Atlantic coast where Western and Central Africa meet. It was named “Rio dos Camarões” or, “River of Prawns”, by Portuguese explorers, because of the abundance of the crustaceans they discovered in the area.  “As a little child, I was always fascinated to see women preparing seafood. When I was seven years old and I was still going to school, I would buy shrimp for my aunt, I would smoke it and then we would sell it. That’s how my business in Yaoundé, the capital of Cameroon began, some years ago.  I used to cut wood at home and do the smoking and distribute in the village. It was a small operation and I didn’t even have an oven. My husband was very supportive, and I started getting more clients and our shrimp was being sold abroad. With the little means that we shrimp smokers have, we sell and make a little profit to cover our cost. It’s not enough but we make do. Today, shrimp is Cameroon’s main seafood export product. I have heard that the shrimp sector employs around 1,500 people and I believe shrimp is healthy food which is eaten by many.  One of the problems we face is that it is hard for us to get fresh seafood and to conserve it. The pandemic has depressed the local market even more. If we had some capital, we would get a cold chamber to keep our fish and only smoke it when we had an order. I and others in the business have been supported by FISH4ACP, a global initiative for sustainable fisheries and aquaculture development in Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific. It is helping us to unlock the potential of the shrimp sector in Cameroon and support us in making this value chain more competitive and sustainable. Ultimately, this will improve our livelihoods as well as contributing to economic growth, increased food security and a reduction in the sector’s ecological footprint. 

FISH4ACP is led by the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) with funding from the European Union (EU) and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).

Cameroon sits on the Atlantic coast where Western and Central Africa meet. It was named “Rio dos Camarões” or, “River of Prawns”, by Portuguese explorers, because of the abundance of the crustaceans they discovered in the area.  “As a little child, I was always fascinated to see women preparing seafood. When I was seven years old and I was still going to school, I would buy shrimp for my aunt, I would smoke it and then we would sell it. That’s how my business in Yaoundé, the capital of Cameroon began, some years ago.  I used to cut wood at home and do the smoking and distribute in the village. It was a small operation and I didn’t even have an oven. My husband was very supportive, and I started getting more clients and our shrimp was being sold abroad. With the little means that we shrimp smokers have, we sell and make a little profit to cover our cost. It’s not enough but we make do. Today, shrimp is Cameroon’s main seafood export product. I have heard that the shrimp sector employs around 1,500 people and I believe shrimp is healthy food which is eaten by many.  One of the problems we face is that it is hard for us to get fresh seafood and to conserve it. The pandemic has depressed the local market even more. If we had some capital, we would get a cold chamber to keep our fish and only smoke it when we had an order. I and others in the business have been supported by FISH4ACP, a global initiative for sustainable fisheries and aquaculture development in Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific. It is helping us to unlock the potential of the shrimp sector in Cameroon and support us in making this value chain more competitive and sustainable. Ultimately, this will improve our livelihoods as well as contributing to economic growth, increased food security and a reduction in the sector’s ecological footprint. 

FISH4ACP is led by the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) with funding from the European Union (EU) and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).

Cameroon sits on the Atlantic coast where Western and Central Africa meet. It was named “Rio dos Camarões” or, “River of Prawns”, by Portuguese explorers, because of the abundance of the crustaceans they discovered in the area.  “As a little child, I was always fascinated to see women preparing seafood. When I was seven years old and I was still going to school, I would buy shrimp for my aunt, I would smoke it and then we would sell it. That’s how my business in Yaoundé, the capital of Cameroon began, some years ago.  I used to cut wood at home and do the smoking and distribute in the village. It was a small operation and I didn’t even have an oven. My husband was very supportive, and I started getting more clients and our shrimp was being sold abroad. With the little means that we shrimp smokers have, we sell and make a little profit to cover our cost. It’s not enough but we make do. Today, shrimp is Cameroon’s main seafood export product. I have heard that the shrimp sector employs around 1,500 people and I believe shrimp is healthy food which is eaten by many.  One of the problems we face is that it is hard for us to get fresh seafood and to conserve it. The pandemic has depressed the local market even more. If we had some capital, we would get a cold chamber to keep our fish and only smoke it when we had an order. I and others in the business have been supported by FISH4ACP, a global initiative for sustainable fisheries and aquaculture development in Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific. It is helping us to unlock the potential of the shrimp sector in Cameroon and support us in making this value chain more competitive and sustainable. Ultimately, this will improve our livelihoods as well as contributing to economic growth, increased food security and a reduction in the sector’s ecological footprint. 

FISH4ACP is led by the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) with funding from the European Union (EU) and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).

Cameroon sits on the Atlantic coast where Western and Central Africa meet. It was named “Rio dos Camarões” or, “River of Prawns”, by Portuguese explorers, because of the abundance of the crustaceans they discovered in the area.  “As a little child, I was always fascinated to see women preparing seafood. When I was seven years old and I was still going to school, I would buy shrimp for my aunt, I would smoke it and then we would sell it. That’s how my business in Yaoundé, the capital of Cameroon began, some years ago.  I used to cut wood at home and do the smoking and distribute in the village. It was a small operation and I didn’t even have an oven. My husband was very supportive, and I started getting more clients and our shrimp was being sold abroad. With the little means that we shrimp smokers have, we sell and make a little profit to cover our cost. It’s not enough but we make do. Today, shrimp is Cameroon’s main seafood export product. I have heard that the shrimp sector employs around 1,500 people and I believe shrimp is healthy food which is eaten by many.  One of the problems we face is that it is hard for us to get fresh seafood and to conserve it. The pandemic has depressed the local market even more. If we had some capital, we would get a cold chamber to keep our fish and only smoke it when we had an order. I and others in the business have been supported by FISH4ACP, a global initiative for sustainable fisheries and aquaculture development in Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific. It is helping us to unlock the potential of the shrimp sector in Cameroon and support us in making this value chain more competitive and sustainable. Ultimately, this will improve our livelihoods as well as contributing to economic growth, increased food security and a reduction in the sector’s ecological footprint. 

FISH4ACP is led by the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) with funding from the European Union (EU) and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).

Cameroon sits on the Atlantic coast where Western and Central Africa meet. It was named “Rio dos Camarões” or, “River of Prawns”, by Portuguese explorers, because of the abundance of the crustaceans they discovered in the area.  “As a little child, I was always fascinated to see women preparing seafood. When I was seven years old and I was still going to school, I would buy shrimp for my aunt, I would smoke it and then we would sell it. That’s how my business in Yaoundé, the capital of Cameroon began, some years ago.  I used to cut wood at home and do the smoking and distribute in the village. It was a small operation and I didn’t even have an oven. My husband was very supportive, and I started getting more clients and our shrimp was being sold abroad. With the little means that we shrimp smokers have, we sell and make a little profit to cover our cost. It’s not enough but we make do. Today, shrimp is Cameroon’s main seafood export product. I have heard that the shrimp sector employs around 1,500 people and I believe shrimp is healthy food which is eaten by many.  One of the problems we face is that it is hard for us to get fresh seafood and to conserve it. The pandemic has depressed the local market even more. If we had some capital, we would get a cold chamber to keep our fish and only smoke it when we had an order. I and others in the business have been supported by FISH4ACP, a global initiative for sustainable fisheries and aquaculture development in Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific. It is helping us to unlock the potential of the shrimp sector in Cameroon and support us in making this value chain more competitive and sustainable. Ultimately, this will improve our livelihoods as well as contributing to economic growth, increased food security and a reduction in the sector’s ecological footprint. 

FISH4ACP is led by the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) with funding from the European Union (EU) and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).

Cameroon sits on the Atlantic coast where Western and Central Africa meet. It was named “Rio dos Camarões” or, “River of Prawns”, by Portuguese explorers, because of the abundance of the crustaceans they discovered in the area.  “As a little child, I was always fascinated to see women preparing seafood. When I was seven years old and I was still going to school, I would buy shrimp for my aunt, I would smoke it and then we would sell it. That’s how my business in Yaoundé, the capital of Cameroon began, some years ago.  I used to cut wood at home and do the smoking and distribute in the village. It was a small operation and I didn’t even have an oven. My husband was very supportive, and I started getting more clients and our shrimp was being sold abroad. With the little means that we shrimp smokers have, we sell and make a little profit to cover our cost. It’s not enough but we make do. Today, shrimp is Cameroon’s main seafood export product. I have heard that the shrimp sector employs around 1,500 people and I believe shrimp is healthy food which is eaten by many.  One of the problems we face is that it is hard for us to get fresh seafood and to conserve it. The pandemic has depressed the local market even more. If we had some capital, we would get a cold chamber to keep our fish and only smoke it when we had an order. I and others in the business have been supported by FISH4ACP, a global initiative for sustainable fisheries and aquaculture development in Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific. It is helping us to unlock the potential of the shrimp sector in Cameroon and support us in making this value chain more competitive and sustainable. Ultimately, this will improve our livelihoods as well as contributing to economic growth, increased food security and a reduction in the sector’s ecological footprint. 

FISH4ACP is led by the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) with funding from the European Union (EU) and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).

Cameroon sits on the Atlantic coast where Western and Central Africa meet. It was named “Rio dos Camarões” or, “River of Prawns”, by Portuguese explorers, because of the abundance of the crustaceans they discovered in the area.  “As a little child, I was always fascinated to see women preparing seafood. When I was seven years old and I was still going to school, I would buy shrimp for my aunt, I would smoke it and then we would sell it. That’s how my business in Yaoundé, the capital of Cameroon began, some years ago.  I used to cut wood at home and do the smoking and distribute in the village. It was a small operation and I didn’t even have an oven. My husband was very supportive, and I started getting more clients and our shrimp was being sold abroad. With the little means that we shrimp smokers have, we sell and make a little profit to cover our cost. It’s not enough but we make do. Today, shrimp is Cameroon’s main seafood export product. I have heard that the shrimp sector employs around 1,500 people and I believe shrimp is healthy food which is eaten by many.  One of the problems we face is that it is hard for us to get fresh seafood and to conserve it. The pandemic has depressed the local market even more. If we had some capital, we would get a cold chamber to keep our fish and only smoke it when we had an order. I and others in the business have been supported by FISH4ACP, a global initiative for sustainable fisheries and aquaculture development in Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific. It is helping us to unlock the potential of the shrimp sector in Cameroon and support us in making this value chain more competitive and sustainable. Ultimately, this will improve our livelihoods as well as contributing to economic growth, increased food security and a reduction in the sector’s ecological footprint. 

FISH4ACP is led by the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) with funding from the European Union (EU) and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).

Cameroon sits on the Atlantic coast where Western and Central Africa meet. It was named “Rio dos Camarões” or, “River of Prawns”, by Portuguese explorers, because of the abundance of the crustaceans they discovered in the area.  “As a little child, I was always fascinated to see women preparing seafood. When I was seven years old and I was still going to school, I would buy shrimp for my aunt, I would smoke it and then we would sell it. That’s how my business in Yaoundé, the capital of Cameroon began, some years ago.  I used to cut wood at home and do the smoking and distribute in the village. It was a small operation and I didn’t even have an oven. My husband was very supportive, and I started getting more clients and our shrimp was being sold abroad. With the little means that we shrimp smokers have, we sell and make a little profit to cover our cost. It’s not enough but we make do. Today, shrimp is Cameroon’s main seafood export product. I have heard that the shrimp sector employs around 1,500 people and I believe shrimp is healthy food which is eaten by many.  One of the problems we face is that it is hard for us to get fresh seafood and to conserve it. The pandemic has depressed the local market even more. If we had some capital, we would get a cold chamber to keep our fish and only smoke it when we had an order. I and others in the business have been supported by FISH4ACP, a global initiative for sustainable fisheries and aquaculture development in Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific. It is helping us to unlock the potential of the shrimp sector in Cameroon and support us in making this value chain more competitive and sustainable. Ultimately, this will improve our livelihoods as well as contributing to economic growth, increased food security and a reduction in the sector’s ecological footprint. 

FISH4ACP is led by the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) with funding from the European Union (EU) and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).

Bogale Borena set up an avocado nursery in Yirgalem in the south of Ethiopia, and has been so successful with the venture that he was named as one of 17  by the UN’s Food and Agriculture Agency. Food Heroes are recognized for their commitment to provide food for their communities and beyond. He spoke to the UN ahead of , marked annually on 16 October. “My name is Bogale Borena and I am a 50 year old father of six. I recently set up an avocado nursery with the capacity to produce 40,000 grafted seedlings, which I can sell to some of the 300,000 avocado farmers who cultivate the crop in the Sidama and SNNPR regions of Ethiopia. I now employ 14 young people in the nursery. I was motivated to grow avocados when a new avocado oil processing plant was established within the Integrated Agro Industries Park (IAIP) near my village. The park employs 490 local people and is the first park of its kind in my region. It works closely with smallholder growers to ensure an adequate supply of avocadoes. The Food and Agriculture Agency () provided technical assistance with the support of the Ministry of Agriculture with the aim of developing a value chain scheme, which includes improving productivity and the quality of commercial avocado varieties. It also promotes sustainable farming practices for local smallholders. Through careful avocado nursery management, the use of grafting tools and polyethene bags, I have increased production from 15,000 seedlings in 2020 to 40,000 in 2021. It takes less than a year to grow and sell seedlings, and around three to four years for the plants to yield fruits, so the pay off for me has been immediate. I was initially selling seedlings locally for 50 birr ($1) a piece. My projected potential annual earnings are now 2 million birrs (around $44,000). Next year, in 2022, I intend to more than double my production to 100,000 seedlings.   By growing grafted avocado seedlings, I have boosted my income and transformed my family’s life. As a result, I can plan to improve my house, buy a truck to transport fruits and other agricultural items, and establish a flour mill in my village. This will serve the local community and create employment opportunities for local youth.  I think my nursery is a good example of how inclusive agricultural value chains can boost youth employment and farmers’ incomes, contributing to the eradication of poverty”. 

Bogale Borena set up an avocado nursery in Yirgalem in the south of Ethiopia, and has been so successful with the venture that he was named as one of 17  by the UN’s Food and Agriculture Agency. Food Heroes are recognized for their commitment to provide food for their communities and beyond. He spoke to the UN ahead of , marked annually on 16 October. “My name is Bogale Borena and I am a 50 year old father of six. I recently set up an avocado nursery with the capacity to produce 40,000 grafted seedlings, which I can sell to some of the 300,000 avocado farmers who cultivate the crop in the Sidama and SNNPR regions of Ethiopia. I now employ 14 young people in the nursery. I was motivated to grow avocados when a new avocado oil processing plant was established within the Integrated Agro Industries Park (IAIP) near my village. The park employs 490 local people and is the first park of its kind in my region. It works closely with smallholder growers to ensure an adequate supply of avocadoes. The Food and Agriculture Agency () provided technical assistance with the support of the Ministry of Agriculture with the aim of developing a value chain scheme, which includes improving productivity and the quality of commercial avocado varieties. It also promotes sustainable farming practices for local smallholders. Through careful avocado nursery management, the use of grafting tools and polyethene bags, I have increased production from 15,000 seedlings in 2020 to 40,000 in 2021. It takes less than a year to grow and sell seedlings, and around three to four years for the plants to yield fruits, so the pay off for me has been immediate. I was initially selling seedlings locally for 50 birr ($1) a piece. My projected potential annual earnings are now 2 million birrs (around $44,000). Next year, in 2022, I intend to more than double my production to 100,000 seedlings.   By growing grafted avocado seedlings, I have boosted my income and transformed my family’s life. As a result, I can plan to improve my house, buy a truck to transport fruits and other agricultural items, and establish a flour mill in my village. This will serve the local community and create employment opportunities for local youth.  I think my nursery is a good example of how inclusive agricultural value chains can boost youth employment and farmers’ incomes, contributing to the eradication of poverty”.