*Taking Stock of Local Land Rush and Their Development Benefits for Women Farmers… DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.108939*

number of reasons were reported as responsible for the presence of local investors in the region. While the main local investor (Cameroon Tea Estate – CTE) acquires land for the purpose of cultivating tea, the major justification for interest in the region is associated with the weather and climate of parts of the region which is suitable for the cultivation of tea. The mountainous nature of the greater part of the region and the cold weather and climate in these areas particularly in Bui and Donga and Mantung Divisions is one of the major factors associated with the cultivation of tea in parts of these localities. In other divisions such as Momo, local investors are more interested in the production of palm oil given the suitability of the climate for the production of oil palm plantations. Some key informants also observed that one of the main reasons attracting small holding local investors is the availability of land in some of these villages. In relation to cattle grazing activities, land for grazing is by and large acquired through the authorization and permission of traditional rulers who are considered as custodians of village land. Meanwhile, the presence of and availability of cheap labour also significantly attracted local investors to acquire large portions of land for investment purposes and opportunities [17, 19, 21].
