Cameroon's land tenure system is governed by a legal framework established in 1974 that has not undergone any significant reform and is therefore severely outdated.

Several legal loopholes in the framework prevent it from meeting the needs of vulnerable groups, such as Indigenous Peoples and women, especially among the rural poor. Furthermore, foreign investors and speculators take advantage of such loopholes to "capture" large tracts of arable land at the expense of the communities the legal framework leaves vulnerable. As a result, many communities feel systematically uprooted from their land, and land conflicts are increasing in the country.

There is hope for the future. In 2011, Cameroon initiated a process of studies and exchanges that should lead to the reform of land laws. This ongoing process is a unique opportunity to resolve land tenure difficulties and to create a favourable environment for sustainable development.