Flavours of Influence: The Rise Cameroon as a Food Power

Flavours of Influence: The Rise of Cameroon as a Food Power is a groundbreaking work at the intersection of developmental economics and gastro-diplomacy. Co-authored by Serge Lemana Oyono and Dr. Isabelle Antunès, a Sorbonne-educated Developmental Economist, the book calls to reconnect agriculture with culture - "agri-culture" as a rigorous economic strategy to reposition local assets within global trade and policy frameworks.Recognized as a "Best of the Best" winner at the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards 2025, the book demonstrates how gastronomy can be mobilised as a strategic lever for economic development and international influence. Moving beyond traditional development narratives, the book explores how gastronomy and biodiversity assets can become engines of inclusive, future-oriented economies. Based on the example of Cameroon, it provides a strategic vision for leveraging African cultural and agricultural assets as instruments of national agency and international influence.