Abstract:

Cassava provides more than half of the dietary calories for over 200 million people in Sub-Saharan Africa (about half of the total population). It also contributes substantial protein, through consumption of the leaves. It is Africa's food insurance: it gives stable yields even in the face of drought, low soil fertility and low intensity management. It can remain in the soil until needed, spreading out food supply over time, helping avert the tragic "boom and bust" cycle of oversupply followed by famine. However, diseases (African cassava mosaic virus, bacterial blight) insects (mealybug, grasshoppers) mites (green spider mite, red spider mite) and nematodes take their toll, occasionally in epidemic proportions. Postharvest processing is laborious: the high water content of the root must be reduced quickly to avoid spoilage and high transport costs, and the cyanogenic potential could pose a health risk if roots are not properly handled before consumption and if the nutritional status of a population is poor.