Cassava

Cassava is the third-largest source of food carbohydrates in the tropics, after rice and maize.^[3][4][5] Cassava is a major staple food in the developing world, providing a basic diet for over half a billion people.^[6] It is one of the most drought-tolerant crops, capable of growing on marginal soils. Nigeria is the world’s largest producer of cassava, while Thailand is the largest exporter of cassava starch.

Cassava is classified as either sweet or bitter. Like other roots and tubers, both bitter and sweet varieties of cassava contain antinutritional factors and toxins, with the bitter varieties containing much larger amounts.^[7] It must be properly prepared before consumption, as improper preparation of cassava can leave enough residual cyanide to cause acute cyanide intoxication,^[8][9] goiters, and even ataxia, partial paralysis, or death.^[10][11] The more toxic varieties of cassava are a fall-back resource (a “food security crop”) in times of famine or food insecurity in some places.^[8][7] Farmers often prefer the bitter varieties because they deter pests, animals, and thieves.^[12]