THE FOOD SECURITY STABILIZATION ROLES OF CASSAVA IN AFRICA

The paper demonstrates that the role of cassava in stabilizing food security in Africa consists of bridging the seasonal food gap during the hungry season; serving as a backstop food reserve against crop failures and famine; and cushioning the downfall of per capita food production where environmental conditions and per capita resource levels are deteriorating. The empirical evidence provided by the Collaborative Study of Cassava in Africa (COSCA) indicates that the relative importance of cassava in the crop mix is positively related to population density, particularly in West Africa; negatively related to land quality; positively related to the environmental risk of crop failure; negatively related to modern inputs use; and negatively related to market accessibility.