Antecedents and effects of group sales on supply chain performance: The case of kola production and marketing in Cameroon

Kola plays an important role in the livelihoods of people in the North West region of Cameroon. However, the potential benefits of the product have not been fully exploited due to many problems including ineffective marketing techniques. In an attempt to address this problem, some organisations like the World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF) have facilitated the producers of kola to embark on group sales as a means to improve their marketing performance. During the first 5 years of implementation of this programme, there was no clear picture about the impact of the marketing intervention programme on the marketing performance of the farmers. This paper discusses the main antecedents and producers’ perception of the effects of the group sales on the supply chain performance of kola producers in Cameroon. Using open ended interviews with 50 farmers, the paper reveals that group sales has the potential to improve kola supply chain performance through increase in prices, quantity harvested and sold, and increase in number of producers involved in the group.    Key words: Group sales, collective action, kola, Cameroon.