Category: 2026

Mount Cameroon National Park and GLOHA Support 35 Community Members with Sustainable Pig Farming Initiative

As we recently reported, studies conducted in the Mount Cameroon National Park (MCNP) revealed that this globally recognized biodiversity hotspot has lost a significant portion of its forest cover. The primary drivers of this degradation include agricultural encroachment, wild honey harvesting, and poaching—particularly the destructive practice of hunting with fire. If this trend continues, the ecological integrity of the park and its valuable forest resources face serious long‑term threats.

To safeguard the heritage of MCNP, the Park Service has intensified efforts under one of its three strategic pillars: promoting sustainable livelihood activities within surrounding communities. As part of this initiative, GLOHA, acting as a Local Support Organization (LSO), carried out sensitization campaigns targeting poachers, bush‑meat vendors, and repentant hunters. Through this engagement, potential beneficiaries were identified to be trained and supported in establishing integrated pig farming enterprises as alternative sources of income.

A total of 35 beneficiaries from four clusters have successfully completed a comprehensive two‑day training program on pig farming as a viable business. The training covered seven essential modules, including mindset transformation; pig housing, equipment, and animal care; establishment and management of a pig farm; feeding and ration formulation; healthcare and farm administration; reproductive cycle management; and bookkeeping and financial literacy.

With funding from the Program for the Sustainable Management of Natural Resources – South West Region (PSMNR‑SWR), the project will now move into its implementation phase. Each trained beneficiary will receive a wooden pig pen, four piglets (3 months old), basic farming tools and water storage drums, and six months of pig feed, after which beneficiaries assume full responsibility for their projects.

Project sustainability is ensured through continuous follow‑up and a “passing‑on‑the‑gift” system. Each beneficiary commits to supporting the next cohort by providing two piglets from their first production cycle. Additionally, all participants have signed a compliance note, pledging to uphold and support conservation practices within MCNP.

This integrated approach not only reduces pressure on the park’s natural resources but also empowers community members with dignified, sustainable livelihoods, thus strengthening both conservation outcomes and community resilience.

Agricultural Encroachment in Protected Areas (Mount Cameroon National Park)

Following our 2026 survey on forest and land use around Mount Cameroon National Park, findings show that the park has lost an unprecedented number of hectares as a result of agricultural encroachment. Mount Cameroon National Park covers 58,178 hectares and is bordered by 41 communities, many of which rely heavily on forest resources.

Before the park was created in 2009, these communities managed the forest through traditional systems that recognized ancestral forests and respected cultural restrictions on certain plants and animals. This approach supported abundant natural resources for both residents and newcomers. However, the region’s hospitality has attracted a great many migrants from other parts of Cameroon and Nigeria, increasing population pressure around the park.

This growing and diverse population has significantly altered land use and the landscape along the park’s periphery. In some areas—particularly in the Bomboko communities—cultural and traditional values that once guided resource use are no longer widely observed, especially among visiting populations. As a result, forest exploitation practices have begun to shift in harmful ways.

The establishment of the park in 2009 was therefore essential to protect and sustain key forest resources. Local NGOs and Community-Based Organizations like Global Hand expanded sensitization efforts across the 41 surrounding communities. Conservation bonuses were introduced to reward communities that adopted best practices, helping to reinforce conservation norms.

Despite these efforts, forest use patterns changed drastically between 2017 and 2026. Forest exploitation increased sharply, with some communities expanding farms right up to the park boundary (there is no existing buffer zone), while others have established farms inside the park itself. Current estimates indicate that active farms now encroach on approximately 3,982 hectares of park land.

Overall, in less than a decade, roughly 6,000 hectares of forest cover—and the carbon sink it represents—have been lost.

In response, Global Hand plans to intensify sensitization efforts with the encroaching farmers, support forest regeneration in the affected areas, and monitor forest conditions over the next five to six years.

Map of Mount Cameroon National Park, showing areas where farms have encroached into the park.
Farm Encroachment in Mount Cameroon National Park, 2026