Cassava is a major staple as well as a cash crop in many parts of Sub-Saharan Africa. It fits well into smallholder farming systems, thriving across a wide range of ecological zones. It is available all year round, providing household food security and offering an affordable source of calories for smallholder farmers.

Yet traditional production and processing methods lead to high production costs and reduced product quality, limiting the ability of African cassava to enter local and/or global markets.

The overall goal of this project is to improve cassava productivity through the introduction of appropriate mechanisation aimed at optimising labour productivity during production and processing, and opening up new market opportunities for cassava products.

AATF’s role is to clarify and resolve key IP issues involved in the acquisition and deployment of proprietary machinery for cassava production and processing and facilitate access by African entrepreneurs to the know-how for the production of such machinery.

Working with its partners, the Foundation helped organise a meeting of experts in November 2005 which developed a strategic plan for the industrialisation of cassava in Africa. The expert meeting at the IITA campus in Ibadan, Nigeria, resolved that the Cassava Industrialisation Strategy for Africa should be geared towards the goal of reducing cassava production costs and increasing the output of high quality industrial products to strengthen the continent’s position in a globally competitive world.

Specific recommendations by the Expert Group included:

• The establishment of a legal framework that facilitates the acquisition and use of land for large-scale farming, and the setting up of funding facilities and financial incentives for cassava enterprises development;
• The development of mechanisms to facilitate access to technological innovations and proven technologies for efficient cassava production, processing and utilisation through facilitated access and delivery of proprietary technologies and enhanced research and development (R&D) capacity;
• Improving market access opportunities through the development of sustainable market information systems, the provision of adequate market infrastructure and the removal of domestic, regional and international trade barriers;
• Strengthening the infrastructure (such as energy, water, roads and communications) in the areas of greatest industrial potential for cassava, so as to improve the competitiveness of emerging cassava-based industries and to attract industrial investors, both local and foreign into this sector;
• Strengthening manpower development institutions and capacity building programmes that will enhance expertise in enterprise management and provide the skills required for the development of cassava-based agro-industries; and
• Giving full regard to environmental protection, waste management and the utilisation of by-products while taking steps to improve the competitiveness of African industries in the context of globalisation.