Cassava - surviving in the face of climate change
Cassava can withstand drought, making it a valuable food security crop
© FAO/Riccardo Gangale
Cassava has been described as a survivor crop, capable of withstanding long periods of dry weather. In the context of climate change in Africa, this makes cassava a valuable insurance crop, a source of food and income when other crops fail. At the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), crop breeders are developing new varieties of cassava which are even more tolerant to long periods of drought. East African director for IITA, Dr Victor Manyong, explains to Wambi Michael about the importance of cassava in the context of climate change, and why new varieties of the crop are only likely to be adopted by farmers if they can find markets for their crop surpluses.
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