Economy of Affection Cameroon

Journal of Social Development in Africa (2000),15, I, 93-108

The Persistence of the Family Farm and the Economy of Affection: The
Cameroonian Case
JILL Y M. NOW AINMBI*
ABSTRACT
This case study attempts to account for the persistence of the economy of affection in Cameroon in light of the persistence of the family farm debate. The study demonstrates, like previous studies, that the economy of affection persists because of subjective values such as the farmers ' desire to be independent; the farmers ' view of agriculture as a way of life; and farmers ' purpose and satisfaction in life derived from bonds and relations formed in the production process. In addition, the study clearly documents the importance of: 1)a sacred component to agriculture; 2) agricultural rituals which provide for social bonding and cooperation; and 3) a process of self-definition, self-determination, and selfactualization associated with food production.

Introduction
The development of a global capitalist economy and the emergence of transnational corporations raise questions about the role of the state and internal forces within each nation in the process of social change. Some have argued that the globalization of capitalism has resulted in an alteration of production patterns in the developing nations, transforming them into cash crop exporters controlled by multinational capital, thereby threatening food security (Bonanno et al. 1990).
Despite the transformatory nature of capitalism, however, non-capitalist forms of production still persist globally. One such form is the family farm which continues to persist, not only in nations with less developed capitalist systems, but also in advanced capitalist societies. This persistence of the family farm or small holdings has been the focus of research and ongoing debate in the sociology of agriculture for the last decade. However, the focus of most of this research has been on advanced capitalist societies, based on a set of assumptions that

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