Immigration agricole interne et développement local : cas de la commune de Mfou (centre-Cameroun)

Abstract

This research is the culmination of a previous observation between the internal immigratory flow and the new agro pastoral migrant initiatives in terms of local development. Actually, the immigratory question is not always seen in his entirety in a way that, it emphasizes more international immigration, omitting the internal immigration aspect. The reasons explaining such a reality is countless. As reason we can have the economical and social reasons (the hope of a better leaving). Yet, the welcoming of those immigrants that are sometimes considered as invaders by autochthones hides another reality which is the impulsion of the development in their reception zone. It is the case of the agricultural immigrants in Mfou Council. These have a considerable impact on the socio-economic development of this locality. However, internal agricultural immigration highlights the increasing socio-economical inequalities, which leads to different dynamics at the local level. All this has given birth to multiples conflicts amongst internal agricultural immigrants and the autochthones, causes by the phenomes of double selling of the same land at the locality of Mfou. From this problem and the problematic constructed from it, we have raised the following main question: in which ways the internal agricultural immigration influences the local development of the Mfou Council? From this question immerge the following main hypothesis: the internal agricultural immigration influences the economic development in the Council OF Mfou by transformations and innovations observed. The verification of those hypothesises has needed the mobilisation of three theoretical grids and qualitative technics of data collection and analysing. Talking about the theoretical grids, the social representation theory of Emile Durkheim, the social change theory of William Ogburn and the structuralist constructivism of Pierre Bourdieu, have been used. On the practical plan, we have chosen the qualitative approach. The dates have been collected on forty-eight (48) individuals selected by the sampling technics of “reasoned choice” all this by interviews, direct observation and life story. These data were analysed using the contained method. After those analyses, the hypothesises were entirely confirmed. The results of the research reveal that, internal agricultural immigration in the now context appealed by local initiatives and important socio-economical work of new comers, participates more to the local development of the reception zone. The main indicators of those results are the types and location of the activities in which those immigrants invest themselves, and the social relationship that they have with the local population.