Mobilising Finance for Food and Climate Convergence in Cameroon

Cameroon is advancing a transformative food systems agenda that brings together climate action, food security, biodiversity, and nutrition through a whole-of-government and whole-of-UN approach. Anchored in the National Development Strategy 2020–2030 (SND30), the country has positioned food systems as a unifying platform for delivering integrated and scalable solutions aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Central to this effort is the Convergence Action Blueprint (CAB), launched in 2025 to operationalise Cameroon’s Food Systems Transition Pathway. With catalytic support from the Joint SDG Fund, the CAB has helped unlock a pipeline of bankable investments, leveraging an initial USD 2 million into potential financing of up to USD 30 million through partnerships with the Global Flagship Initiative for Food Security and the Islamic Development Bank. These investments aim to support climate-smart agriculture, strengthen value chains, and expand opportunities for smallholders, cooperatives, youth, and women-led enterprises.

Cameroon’s experience demonstrates how strong national leadership by the Ministers of Agriculture and Environment in coordination with other line ministers, UN system-wide coordination, and trust-based partnerships—under the strategic leadership of the UN Resident Coordinator; Issa Sanogo, can turn policy coherence into tangible impact. It offers transferable lessons for countries seeking to mobilise innovative finance, strengthen governance, and accelerate integrated food systems transformation in the face of climate change.