Economic impact of the use of improved seeds on the food security of rural households in Cameroon

This study examines the economic impact of improved seed use on rural household food security in Cameroon. Descriptive statistics and the matching score procedure were used on a sample of 4 101 households from the 2017 Cameroon Comprehensive Food Security and Household Vulnerability Assessment. Among them, 26.53% of households were users of improved seeds, while the remaining 73.47% were non-users. The results show that, on average, users of improved seeds have a higher food consumption score, of 3.5 versus 5.2, and reduced food expenditure, of 3.76 versus 4.29, compared to non-users. These households also reduced their food stocks proportionally, from 21.67 to 19.6, compared to non-users. It is then suggested that an intervention among rural households to increase the use of improved seeds could improve their food security.