Faced with surging cocoa thefts driven by global price increases, farmers in Cameroon are taking drastic measures, including organizing vigilante patrols and using traditional amulets to protect their crops.
The rise in cocoa prices, fueled by unfavorable weather and disease outbreaks in major cocoa producers like Ivory Coast and Ghana, has made Cameroon’s cocoa farms a prime target for thieves. Unlike their counterparts in regulated markets, Cameroonian farmers benefit from a liberalized market, where prices can exceed fixed rates, attracting criminal activity.
According to the National Cocoa and Coffee Board, prices have tripled since the 2023/24 season, creating further insecurity in cocoa-growing regions.
Farmers, such as Pascal Mani from central Cameroon, now patrol their fields armed with machetes to defend their livelihoods. Some communities have even formed vigilante groups equipped with weapons, while others have turned to mystical protection by placing amulets in their fields, hoping to deter thieves through spiritual means.
The increase in thefts has led to violence, with some farmers losing their lives in confrontations with thieves. In response, local authorities have implemented tighter security measures, such as banning the sale of non-dried cocoa and refusing to purchase cocoa from unregistered farmers or children.
Farmers like Marriette Embolo hope for stronger national policies to protect them from the growing threat of theft.
