Cassava (Manihot esculenta) is a woody shrub native to South America, cultivated primarily for its large, starchy tuberous roots. It’s the third-largest source of dietary carbohydrates in the tropics, after rice and maize, and a staple food for over half a billion people across sub-Saharan Africa, Southeast Asia, and South America.
The root is versatile: it’s boiled, fried, mashed, dried into flour, or processed into tapioca (the extracted starch). Cassava flour and tapioca starch are increasingly common in Australian kitchens as gluten-free alternatives. The leaves are also eaten as a green vegetable in parts of Africa and Asia.
Raw cassava contains cyanogenic compounds that must be removed through proper preparation — peeling, soaking, fermenting, or thorough cooking. Bitter varieties contain higher levels and require more processing, while sweet varieties can be prepared more simply. This isn’t a concern with commercially processed products like tapioca starch or cassava flour, which are fully detoxified.
How it's produced
Cassava is propagated from stem cuttings, not seeds. Short sections of mature stem are pushed into the soil at an angle, and new plants sprout within days. It’s one of the most drought-tolerant food crops, capable of growing in poor soils where cereals would fail, which explains its importance as a food security crop in sub-Saharan Africa.
Roots are ready to harvest anywhere from 8 to 24 months after planting, depending on the variety and climate. In smallholder farming — which accounts for most global production — roots are dug by hand with a machete or hoe. Large-scale operations use mechanical harvesters. Cassava roots deteriorate within days of harvest, so they must be processed or consumed quickly. Processing varies by region: in West Africa, roots are fermented and dried into garri or fufu; in Southeast Asia and South America, they’re processed into starch and flour for industrial use. Major producers include Nigeria, Thailand, Indonesia, and Brazil.
What it costs the planet (per kilo)
* Based on what it takes to produce, from farm to factory gate.
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