Food Hero: Cameroon’s shrimp entrepreneur |

Cameroon sits on the Atlantic coast the place Western and Central Africa meet. It was named “Rio dos Camarões” or, “River of Prawns”, by Portuguese explorers, due to the abundance of the crustaceans they found within the space.

Anastasie Obama has been named an FAO Meals Hero and forward of the Worldwide Day of Rural Ladies marked yearly on 15 October, she has been chatting with the UN.

“As a little bit little one, I used to be all the time fascinated to see ladies making ready seafood. After I was seven years previous and I used to be nonetheless going to highschool, I’d purchase shrimp for my aunt, I’d smoke it after which we might promote it. That’s how my enterprise in Yaoundé, the capital of Cameroon started, some years in the past. 

I used to chop wooden at dwelling and do the smoking and distribute within the village. It was a small operation and I didn’t even have an oven. My husband was very supportive, and I began getting extra purchasers and our shrimp was being offered overseas.

With the little implies that we shrimp people who smoke have, we promote and make a little bit revenue to cowl our price. It’s not sufficient however we make do.

At present, shrimp is Cameroon’s primary seafood export product. I’ve heard that the shrimp sector employs round 1,500 individuals and I imagine shrimp is wholesome meals which is eaten by many. 

© FAO/Rocco Rorandelli

Shrimp is Cameroon’s primary seafood export product.

One of many issues we face is that it’s arduous for us to get contemporary seafood and to preserve it.

The COVID-19 pandemic has depressed the native market much more. If we had some capital, we might get a chilly chamber to maintain our fish and solely smoke it once we had an order.

I and others within the enterprise have been supported by FISH4ACP, a world initiative for sustainable fisheries and aquaculture growth in Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific.

It’s serving to us to unlock the potential of the shrimp sector in Cameroon and help us in making this worth chain extra aggressive and sustainable.

Finally, this may enhance our livelihoods in addition to contributing to financial development, elevated meals safety and a discount within the sector’s ecological footprint.