Sustainable Cassava

Book excerpt: Sustainable Cassava: Production, Processing, Trade, Consumption and Waste Management Strategies presents viable approaches to promote sustainability in this globally important crop, enabling future generations to benefit. Providing key insights to enhance production while limiting environmental impact, this book provides readers with foundational understanding of growing and utilizing Cassava. Cassava (Manihot Mill. species Euphorbiaceae) is a staple crop in tropical and subtropical regions of the world with diverse food and non-food value. It is a principal energy source but may be fortified to provide improved nutritional status for consumers as well as for the production of value-added products. With the growing human population, there is a need to increase global production and efficiency in trade, diversify and ensure safe consumption, maximize utilization of all cassava processing wastes, and add value to the cassava production chain through sustainable practices Presented in three parts, the first addresses cassava diversity and distribution, sustainable production and cultivation practices, and root processing innovations of the crop. Cassava trade policies and economic value chains, food safety and use of cassava, and agro-industrial cassava products are addressed in the second part. The third part focuses on bioeconomy aspects, cassava waste quality assessment, toxicology, sanitary practices, environmental risk assessment as well as sustainable management strategies for cassava waste using biotechnological and industrial advances. Addressing the need for a unified and standardized approach for the trade, management, and utilization of cassava genetic resources, finished products, and cassava processing wastes, the book also explores policy and governance structure for addressing environmental and economic issues emanating from their use. In the lens of globalization, climate change adaptation and mitigation, and sustainable development, the contents of this book will promote the adoption of novel and advanced practices in cassava cultivation and production, harvest, use, and waste recovery or reduction and contribute to global cooling efforts. - Presents best practices and ideas from around the world, including technological advances for Cassava production and use - Focuses on sustainability throughout the lifecycle - Provides insights translatable to other tuber crops for further enhanced sustainable food security