Evaluation of the determinants of socio-economic and cultural performance among producers in the production of Penja pepper (Peper nigrum) under geographical indication in the Moungo Division, Littoral Region- Cameroon

Abstract

This article seeks to analyse the effects of the adoption of the geographical indication on the determinants of socio-economic and cultural performance among Penja pepper producers’s group under geographical indication (GR-IGPP) Moungo Division in Cameroon. 176 producers who operate in 4 pepper production areas: Loum, Penja, Njombé, Bouba (Mombo) were asked about the data on socio-economic and cultural characteristics, the 13 characteristic elements of needs on which they spend income from pepper cultivation. These data were subjected to descriptive statistical analysis, with graphs using the SPSS 23 software. The mapping of the production basins was carried out as an illustration of the geographical characteristics. The results obtained indicate that the percentage of men (86%) who are involved in Penja Pepper cultivation is significantly higher than that of women (14%). The age of the producers ranged between 20 years and 70 years with 45.5% of them having at least a secondary level of education and 31.8%, Primary education. In households members varied but between 3 and 10 people was the most frequent. In the practice of agricultural activities, 46% of people had 10 to 20 years of experience while 8% had less than 5 years and 21% had more than 20 years of experience. Overall, their areas of interest are investment in agricultural activities (35%) and business (10%). Only 5.5% and 5% of producers were concerned about family education and health. Women invest little in farming (8.78%), and in business 0.85%. Involvement in socio-cultural activities, construction and provision of water and electricity for households were not different from other activities. Majority of the producers were men with 39.9% of them within the active age group of 41-50 years. About 71.6% practiced professional pepper cultivation with a reseasonable proportion of income reinvested into the farms. The pepper producers must focus on the aspects of promoting culture, membership of cooperatives and CIGs that guarantee social cohesion in order to increase the chances of sustainability of this culture.