National Assembly adopts bill regulating organic farming.

The session was presided by the House Speaker, the Rt Hon Cavaye Yeguié Djibril. 

The session, which began after quorum was confirmed, focused solely on the scrutiny of the bill. The bill had earlier been presented and defended before the Committee on Production and Trade by Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Gabriel Mbairobe, alongside Dr. Taïga, Minister of Livestock, Fisheries, and Animal Industries. 

On November 12, 2025, Minister Gabriel Mbairobe appeared before the committee, chaired by Honourable Mbakam Chouga Guillaume, to justify the relevance of the proposed legal instrument. 

He explained that the framework would enhance visibility and profitability of Cameroonian products on the global market. 

Organic farming, it should be noted, encompasses crop cultivation, animal production, aquaculture, beekeeping, and forestry practices that preserve natural ecosystems. 

It restricts the use of synthetic chemical inputs and genetically modified organisms, while promoting consumer health and sustainable farming systems. 

The Minister highlighted that Cameroon’s key agricultural exports cocoa, coffee, cotton, fruits, and vegetables have faced setbacks in international trade. 

He revealed that over the past five years, several consignments of organic products exported to the European Union were intercepted and returned due to substandard quality linked to improper pesticide use. He stressed that the absence of a legal framework had hindered competitiveness. 

Mbairobe further noted that organic farming could reduce consumption of pesticide-contaminated foods, which pose risks such as cancer, infertility, and neurological disorders. 

He added that the law would combat poverty, safeguard producers’ health, provide access to foreign currency, and promote innovative techniques like greenhouse farming, crucial for sustainable development amid climate shocks. 

During the plenary sitting, Members of Parliament, MPs raised questions and concerns to Minister Mbairobe. The Minister responded by assuring legislators that farmers were being sensitised on the benefits of organic farming, including increased income and access to international markets.

The law, structured into 62 sections across five chapters, establishes the general framework for organic farming, specifies rules for each farming method, and sets penalties for offenders.  

A text of application, the agriculture minister also said, would be drawn by the Prime Minister, Head of Government with approval of the Head of State, Paul Biya. 

This article was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3631 of Thursday November 20, 2025