Diversification rurale non agricole et dépenses alimentaires des ménages : le cas du Cameroun

This paper attempts to evaluate the impact of nonfarm diversification on rural household food spending using the two most recent waves of the Cameroon household consumption surveys and the endogenous switching regression model as the empirical strategy. To achieve this objective, we identify correlates of the probability of rural nonfarm employment, the socioeconomic factors that influence food spending among rural diversifiers and non-diversifiers, and the corresponding factual and counterfactual distributions of food spending. Descriptive results show preliminary indications that diversifiers enjoy a food spending premium over non-diversifiers. Results also show that an increase in the proportion of diversifiers in the neighborhood increases the likelihood that the reference household will be a nonfarm diversifier. Further results show that diversification into nonfarm activities generates gains in food spending in the order of XAF5,696 per month in rural Cameroon. These findings encourage public interventions that promote nonfarm diversification to achieve food security in rural settings.