Story, Louvier Kindo Tombe
When Gabrielle Mathan lifted her trophy in Yaoundé, it was more than a personal triumph. It was a signal that Cameroon’s bread, and perhaps its economy, could rise differently.
The young baker and pastry chef, active since 2019, was crowned the first Best Artisan Baker for breads enriched with local flours. Her winning loaf, made with 20 percent sweet potato flour and sesame, impressed both a professional jury and the public, proving that locally sourced ingredients can compete with imported wheat in taste, texture, and innovation.
“It was important for me to show that local flour can produce quality bread — bread that is both delicious and healthy,” Gabrielle said.
Her victory came during the two-day Local Flours Days, held at the ACDIC headquarters in Elig-Essono, Yaoundé.
Organized by NGO – SAILD in partnership with ACDIC, the event aimed to promote “Made in Cameroon” products while supporting local farmers and artisanal bakers. It was held under the theme:
“Local Flours, a Strategic Lever for Cameroon’s Development.”
Gabrielle was among about ten bakers and pastry chefs selected nationwide to showcase their expertise through the competition.
Second-place winner Sylvain Dongmo stressed the importance of awareness:
“To promote import substitution, we must start by changing habits from childhood. We began with 10 percent local flour in bread; today we are at 30 percent, and the results are very promising.”
The first day focused on tasting sessions, a baking competition, and exhibitions featuring bread, pastries, and viennoiseries made from cassava, plantain, and sweet potato flour.
Gabrielle’s innovation stood out, winning both the jury’s and public’s votes, with the public accounting for 30 percent of the final score.
“This competition is not just about baking; it is about demonstrating that Cameroon can feed itself and reduce dependence on imported wheat,” said Kouang Rodrigue of SAILD, one of the event’s organizers.
The objectives were clear: promote local flours, encourage sustainable food practices, stimulate innovation, and strengthen the agricultural sector.
Expected outcomes include greater visibility for local flour products, stronger collaboration across the value chain, and increased public awareness of their nutritional and environmental benefits.
From Ovens to Policy
The second day shifted from ovens to strategy. Stakeholders including bakers, producers, researchers, civil society organizations, and public institutions, convened workshops examining the strategic role of local flours in national development.
According to Cameroon’s National Institute of Statistics, wheat imports reached 887,434 tonnes in 2023, valued at 178.3 billion FCFA. In 2024, total cereal imports were estimated at 543.7 billion FCFA, including 214 billion FCFA for wheat alone.
Such heavy reliance on imports exposes Cameroon to global price volatility and drains foreign exchange reserves. In this context, integrating local flours into bread and pastry production is more than culinary experimentation, it is a strategy for food sovereignty, economic resilience, and rural job creation.
The event also paid tribute to the late Bernard Njonga, co-founder of SAILD, who argued that bread enriched with local flours could generate up to 40,000 jobs annually and save 15 billion FCFA in foreign exchange, while strengthening national food sovereignty.
Bread as a Development Tool
The competition illustrates that local flour integration is not a compromise, it is an opportunity. The breads produced support local farmers, promote healthier diets, and reduce Cameroon’s dependence on imported wheat.
In a country where bread is a staple, even a gradual shift toward cassava, sweet potato, and plantain flour could have far-reaching economic and social impacts: boosting rural livelihoods, conserving foreign exchange, and fostering innovation in the baking sector.
What began as a baking competition has evolved into a broader national conversation about food security, local economic development, and sustainable agriculture.
“Cameroon can bake its own future,” Gabrielle said. “One loaf at a time.”
And with bakers like Gabrielle leading the way, the nation’s breakfast table may soon become a symbol of resilience, ingenuity, and pride in local resources.
Verdict:
