The State of Indigenous Foods in Africa: The case of Mankon Community in the Northwest Region of Cameroon

Abstract

Food is an indispensable item for all human beings, and a means of survival. Through food, people create identities that influence how they view themselves in relation to others. Food carries meanings that are associated with different occasions. Food fosters communication among people and provides access to coded messages and forms of interaction that are not obvious to the external observer. There is however paucity of qualitative studies on food and its symbolic and communicative function, especially on indigenous foods in the formerly colonised communities. This is even more glaringly so in Africa despite the continent’s long precolonial history of dependence on indigenous foods. It is for this reason, and especially in view of the recent experiences with covid-19 pandemic and its aggravation of food insecurity, that this article examines the state of indigenous foods in Africa through a focus on the case of Mankon community in the Northwest region of Cameroon. A qualitative research approach was adopted, using in-depth interviews to collect data from 25 participants within the Mankon community. The findings revealed that the Mankon people continue to hold indigenous foods in high regard not only for their nutritious and medicinal or health value but also for their socio-cultural significance. A lack in knowledge of the socio-cultural significance of these foods amongst youth became evident, calling for promotional educational interventions. Notwithstanding the limitations of this study, it however contributes to closing the gap of a lack in qualitative research on indigenous foods and, especially in Africa.