Abstract

The purpose of this article is to demonstrate that the peasant populations of Lomié, as well as rural populations in Cameroon and Africa more broadly, are experiencing a significant disruption in their connection with nature due to the economic impact of forestry and hunting capitalism entering African peasant communities. In the case of the studied villages in Lomié, it becomes evident that there is a deep and fundamental connection between the sociohistory of these communities and their methods of economic production. It is important to highlight that there is a connection between the profound cultural dynamics, including myths, rituals and mysticism within the community, and the economic production system. The introduction of forest resource management into the capitalist framework disrupts this production system entirely. Peasant economic resilience in this context should be founded on the creation of alternative economic production mechanisms, as part of the socio-economic development dimension that should accompany sustainable forest resource management. However, these efforts face obstacles due to legal circumventions. This dynamic completely undermines the potential for top-down economic resilience. In reality, the local community organization is focused on developing resilience strategies at the grassroots level. Nevertheless, there is a noticeable lack of local human initiative, as individuals often turn to alcohol and other forms of narcotics for solace. This further exacerbates the vulnerability of the socio-economic situation in the Lomié communities.

Key words: Peasant economy, socioeconomic changes, social resilience, political economic dynamics.