On-going action by SODECOTON, the main development organization in the north of Cameroon, has made it possible to provide 360,000 farmers with a means of cotton and grain production. The structure provided by the cotton sector has had a number of important direct effects (on production, employment, income and nutrition) as well as indirect effects (on infrastructure, local development, combating erosion, farm credit and farmers' organizations). However, an increasing number of worrying indicators point to a future conflict that the cotton sector will not be able to deal with on its own.