Introduction; The smallholder socioeconomic environment; Cassava production with purchased inputs; Cassava production response to use of purchased inputs; Production for sale; Household cash income generation; Impact of high-yielding varieties on cassava cash income; Summary of observations and conclusion.

This book focuses on food security and safety issues in Africa, a continent presently challenged with malnutrition and food insecurity. The continuous increase in the human population of Africa will lead to higher food demands, and climate change has already affected food production in most parts of Africa, resulting in drought, reduced crop yields, and loss of livestock and income. For Africa to be food-secure, safe and nutritious food has to be available, well-distributed, and sufficient to meet people’s food requirements. Contributors to Food Security and Safety: African Perspectives offer solutions to the lack of adequate safe and nutritious food in sub-Saharan Africa, as well as highlight the positive efforts being made to address this lack through a holistic approach. The book discusses the various methods used to enhance food security, such as food fortification, fermentation, genetic modification, and plant breeding for improved yield and resistance to diseases. Authors emphasize the importance of hygiene and food safety in food preparation and preservation, and address how the constraints of climate change could be overcome using smart crops. As a comprehensive reference text, Food Security and Safety: African Perspectives seeks to address challenges specific to the African continent while enhancing the global knowledge base around food security, food safety, and food production in an era of rapid climate change.

Cassava is the most important of the root crops in the tropics and ranks fourth after rice, sugarcane and maize as a source of calorie for human needs. Since its introduction into Africa in the 16th century, cassava has spread throughout sub-Saharan Africa to become one of the dominant starchy staples in the diet of the people. Cassava is a major staple for about half of the Nigerian population and nearly 50 million tonnes of fresh cassava is produced annually in the country. This quantity is enough to meet the calorie requirement of 50 million people at about 200 calories per day. Cassava is important not just as a subsistence or food security crop, but also as a main source of cash income for producing households. Its production and processing provide employment and income for the rural poor, especially women and children. This book discusses the environmental impact cassava may have; the functional and nutritional characterization of cassava flour; cassava bread; other food products developed from using cassava roots and its derivatives; and cassava varieties and their breeding status.