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African Journal of Food, Agriculture, Nutrition and Development
Rural Outreach Program
ISSN: 1684-5358 EISSN: 1684-5358
Vol. 19, No. 1, 2019, pp. 13928-13946
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Bioline Code: nd19005
Full paper language: English
Document type: Review Article
Document available free of charge
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African Journal of Food, Agriculture, Nutrition and Development, Vol. 19, No. 1, 2019, pp. 13928-13946
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Opportunities to Commercialize Cassava Production for Poverty Alleviation and Improved Food Security in Tanzania
Mtunguja, M.K.; Beckles, D.M.; Laswai, H.S.; Ndunguru, J.C. & Sinha, N.J.
Abstract
Cassava is the world's fourth most important staple crop after rice, wheat and maize,
and plays an essential role in food security. Due to cassava’s growth characteristics and
ability to grow in poor soils and regions prone to drought, it is preferred by resource-poor
farmers in many tropical countries. While cassava plays an important role as a
food security crop for subsistence farmers, it is prone to rapid postharvest deterioration.
Processing cassava for starch is another strategy for overcoming post-harvest losses,
can add value to end products and has the potential to create additional employment
opportunities along the supply chain. Cassava starch is an important source of
biomaterial for different food and non-food industrial applications. Moreover, farmers
producing cassava can increase their income by finding alternative end uses to home
consumption. To meet the high demand for cassava in Tanzania, cultivar selection,
production and processing all need to be improved. Enabling policies that create
satisfactory business opportunities for small holder farmers, traders and processors for
starch industries is also critical. The aim of this review is to explore the potential of the
cassava subsector to contribute to the economy of sub-Saharan countries, particularly
Tanzania, and to present how industrial use of domestic cassava starch can help tackle
problems of unemployment and food security.
Keywords
Cassava; food security; commercialization; Tanzania; Africa
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