Changing security : livelihood in the Mandara mountains region in north Cameroon

This study compares the livelihood of the Mada people of the Mandara mountains of north Cameroon with that of the Mada who have descended from the mountains to the adjacent plains in the period since the independence of Cameroon. Fieldwork for the study was conducted in the Tokombéré 'arrondissement' from July 1992 until February 1993, with short additional visits in 1994 and 1996. An introduction, an outline of the research design and methodology, and background information on the Mandara mountains region are followed by a description of the social and demographic characteristics of the Mada. The author then analyses the livelihood of the Mada in the mountains and on the plain, paying attention to agricultural production, the market and subsistence income, other sources of income, such as gifts, loans and barter, household expenses, seasonality of income generation, gender differences, and differences between villages