Cassava, Manihot esculenta Crantz, is a tropical crop grown for its bulky, starchy roots. Cassava originated in Paraguay and Brazil. It is a perennial woody shrub. Cassava is major source of low-cost carbohydrates for many people living in the humid topics. Cassava is one of the only crops grown in Africa produced in all ecological zones. Additionally, the crop is attractive to farmers because there is minimal or no requirement forfertilizer, a minimal weeding burden, and tolerance to drought and poor soils. Today, no wild forms of the species Manihot esculenta are known. Cassava is a diploid (2n=36).
Cassava is propagated vegetatively as clones, meaning that portions of mature plant stem are planted instead of seed. There is a wide range in the production yields of fresh root, reaching 90 tons/hectare while the world average is 9.8 t/ha due to much lower yields in subsistence agricultural systems.
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| Photo of a man with cassava roots from USAID |
Roots are prepared similarly to potato; they can be peeled and baked, boiled, or fried. Cooking cassava is important because the plant contains potentially toxic concentrations of compounds called cyanogenic glucosides that are rendered innocuous through cooking. In Africa, the roots are commonly fermented and then milled into flour or used to produce alcoholic beverages. Leaves are also consumed; young tender leaves are used as a leafy green vegetable and are prepared in a way similar to spinach. Proteins in the leaves have been found to equal in quality to the protein in egg. In addition to human consumption, unpeeled roots are dried and grated for animal feed. Also, cassava is used in industrial processing to make products including textiles, adhesives, high fructose syrup and paper.
In 2009, the FAO estimates that about 241 million tons of cassava were produced. The top producers of cassava were Thailand, Brazil and Indonesia.
countries | item | element | 2008 | 2009 |
World + (Total) | Cassava | Production (tonnes) | 232462874 | 240989481 |
Thailand | Cassava | Production (tonnes) | 25155797 | 30088024 |
Brazil | Cassava | Production (tonnes) | 26703039 | 26030969 |
Indonesia | Cassava | Production (tonnes) | 21593052 | 22039148 |
Angola | Cassava | Production (tonnes) | 10057375 | 12827580 |
Ghana | Cassava | Production (tonnes) | 11351100 | 12230600 |
India | Cassava | Production (tonnes) | 9056000 | 9623000 |
Viet Nam | Cassava | Production (tonnes) | 9395800 | 8556900 |
Uganda | Cassava | Production (tonnes) | 5072000 | 5179000 |
China | Cassava | Production (tonnes) | 4411573 | 4511573 |
Cambodia | Cassava | Production (tonnes) | 3676232 | 3497000 |
Source: FAOSTAT
Cassava is important to the diet of over one billion people and is the world’s fourth most important staple crop after rice, wheat and maize (corn). Given the widespread cultivation of cassava and its tolerance to harsh conditions, it has been recognized as essential to food security for millions.
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| Agnes Dherbeys for The New York Times |
In a move that could impact food security, China has recently started using cassava as a biofuel, resulting in higher prices for cassava and expanded cultivation in countries like Thailand. Below is a NYTimes article about this development.
