Reducing post-harvest losses in Cameroon

Cameroon’s agricultural sector and opportunities 

Cameroon stands out as one of Central Africa’s most agriculturally diverse markets, with favorable climatic conditions enabling the production of a wide range of crops, including fruits, vegetables, cassava, maize, cocoa, coffee, and cotton. The World Bank highlights the country’s strong potential, particularly its endowment with high-value agricultural products. With a population of over 28 million, agriculture remains a cornerstone of Cameroon’s economy and a key driver of livelihood. The sector employs around 43% of the workforce and contributes roughly 17% to GDP, underlining its scale, relevance, and untapped growth potential. 

Post-harvest losses remain one of the most critical challenges in Cameroon’s agri-food sector. According to the FAO, up to 40% of certain crops - particularly fruits, vegetables, and tubers - are lost after harvesting, with an estimated annual economic loss of €1.5-2.5 billion. The losses occur across the entire value chain, from production to marketing, directly reducing farmer incomes while leaving market demand unmet. The main drivers of these post-harvest losses include insufficient storage, limited cold chain infrastructure, unreliable electricity, inadequate processing capacity, and weak packaging and logistics systems. In line with this, recent logistics-focused research in Cameroon identifies poor storage, transportation, packaging, and information systems as key factors influencing post-harvest losses among smallholder farmers. 

For German and European companies, this challenge offers a significant opportunity to enter a growing market with an estimated annual potential of €300-800 million, provided that 20-30% of current post-harvest losses are targeted. Unlike primary production, reducing post-harvest losses does not require expanding farmland or increasing agricultural inputs. Instead, it relies on technological solutions, infrastructure, services, and business models in areas where German and European companies have strong capabilities: cooling, drying, storage, packaging, processing, energy efficiency, logistics, and digital monitoring. 

From a business perspective, Cameroon therefore offers a rare combination of immediate demand, clear technical gaps, and potential for scalable business models. Therefore, we invite interested companies to take part in our lab of tomorrow business development programme.