Agricultural Rituals and Resilience of Smallholder Farmers towards Food Security in Africa: The case of the four socio-cultural and ecological zones of Cameroon

Cameroon is known as Africa in miniature, which means that one can find in Cameroon all the atmospheric, environmental and cultural conditions represented in the different parts of Africa.  There are four ecological and cultural zones in Cameroon notably; the Sudano Sahelian, Forest, Grass field and Coastal Zones. Each of these zones has atmospheric, environmental and cultural conditions that are unique to the zones. If these conditions are not the same in its totality, they are at least similar to an extent.In the villages of Ndop, there are many types of rituals performed in favour of crops cultivation. Some of which are; Ritual to the gods of rain //Mbaagh//Fungbesie//ChiefunNgunou, Rituals to the gods of good harvest //Fungnkoh//chiefungunous//Tunjia, The ritual for the protection of food crops Mbeau //MoupetNikang//Mbaahpresent in Ndop sub division of the Northwest region of Cameroon represents the grass field ecological and cultural zones of Cameroon. The cock festival //FeoKague//, among the Toupouri people in Mayo Danay and Mayo Kani divisions of the Far North region of Cameroon represents  the Sudano Sahelian ecological and cultural zones in Cameroon. The DerneNyabe or better still kemoyiu, ritual of the cleaning of the graveyard among the four Baboute villages (Mbandjock, Ndjore, Neo Baboute and Doua) present in Mbandjock sub division of the central region of Cameroon represents the forest ecological and cultural zones of Cameroon. According to Awah (2017) though Yaounde in the forest region (Southern low plateau), it has harbour’s an elevation of about 1500m in this region The Oroko people of Bamusso in Ndian division of the south west region of Cameroon represent the coastal ecological and Sawa cultural zone of Cameroon. These people are around the water areas and practice agriculture as well as fishing.