The impact of globalisation on agro-based corporations in Cameroon: the case of the Cameroon Development Corporation in the South West Region

Free trade and economic liberalisation are affecting weaker economies in different parts of the world, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa. In this region, agricultural produce from unsubsidised farmers have to compete with those from highly structured and subsidised nations. In Cameroon, agro-based corporations have so far had diverse experience in this era of globalisation. The Cameroon Development Corporation (CDC) which cultivates rubber, banana and palm is one of the largest agro-industrial corporations in West and Central Africa. It has benefited from globalisation through international capital mobilisation, e-commerce, improved packaging mechanism, faster shipment through simplified procedures by the World Maritime Organisation (WMO) and increasing environmental awareness. Despite these, exposure to wider market forces has led to price fluctuation and the privatisation of part of the corporation (the tea sector). Speculations on the eminent privatisation of the entire corporation have made workers to continue to live in fear. Despite the proliferation of high-techs, the corporation still exports a considerable amount of its produce, instead of setting up complete transformation centres in the country. Faced with these scenarios, this study analyses the situation and proposes some recommendations.