Rural financial markets and the food security of the poor: the case of Cameroon

In the framework of the IFPRI/University of Hohenheim Project "Credit for the Rural Poor in Sub-Saharan Africa', a detailed micro-economic survey has been conducted from October 1991 to October 1992 in three Cameroonian provinces (Adamawa, North West and West). The empirical results support the hypothesis that food security relates to financial market access and income improvements. Access to sustainable financial market services improves incomes, and in turn, income has a positive and significant impact on rural households, food security. Financial market services can improve food security in providing rural production and consumption credit? -from Author