Paper short abstract:

The development of commercial agriculture is associated with the development of secondary towns. They have become not only labor pools, but also centers that structure agricultural innovation through their capacity to supply inputs and to structure transport platforms for metropolises.

Paper long abstract:

The development of commercial agriculture is associated with the development of secondary towns. The dynamic rural areas of the Moungo corridor indeed booster important changes in the secondary cities. They have become not only labor pools, but also centers that structure agricultural innovation through their capacity to supply inputs, and to structure transport platforms for metropolises. The development of agricultural sectors such as pineapples, potatoes, vegetables, etc. is supported by the labor of the small towns surrounding the production basins.

On the other hand, the investment of rural incomes in the improvement of livelihood obliges the adoption of urban consumption patterns. This adoption is thus measured by the regular stay in town and the nature of their shopping in the secondary towns. The development of large-scale distribution in secondary towns is therefore not only for urban dwellers, but also for rural residents.

Finally, secondary towns are increasingly experiencing the effects of environmental perturbations of ecosystems production basins. Between the crisis of water supply and the recurrence of floods, these cities gradually accumulate the disfunctioning that are found in the larger cities.

The study is based on a synthesis of the interactions between production basins and secondary towns in the Moungo corridor.

Keywords: Rural development, secondary cities, Moungo corridor, Cameroon