Color profile: Disabled Composite Default screen Chapter 2 Cassava in South America and the Caribbean* Guy Henry1 and Clair Hershey2 1CIRAD-Amis, Rua Paulo Castro P. Nogueira 600, Campinas-SP 13092–400, Brazil; 22019 Locust Grove Road, Manheim, PA 17545, USA Origin and Distribution of Cassava homelands. This history has not only had a pro- in Latin America found influence on the current status of the crop, but also on its potential for further development. Cassava and all its wild relatives have their Cassava has numerous traits that confer genetic origins in Latin America (the term Latin comparative advantages in marginal environ- America is used herein for the entire cassava- ments, where farmers often lack the resources to growing region of the New World). The crop was improve the income-generating capacity of their vital to the development of lowland tropical cul- land through purchased inputs. The species tol- tures throughout the New World. The Carib and erates acid soils, periodic and extended drought, Arawak Indians of the Caribbean and northern and defoliation by pests. It is highly compatible South America were probably some of the earli- with many types of intercrops and flexible as to est cultivators of cassava, and many of their cus- time of harvest. Furthermore, the crop serves a toms of cultivation and processing remain virtu- wide variety of food, feed and industrial purposes. ally intact today, in that region, and throughout These traits have combined to make cassava a the Amazon basin. Every tropical country of the significant sustaining force, benefiting the poor region produces cassava, but its cultivation is in the tropics. most highly concentrated in four areas: north- Latin America currently represents less ern and eastern coastal Brazil; southern Brazil than one-fifth of the global cassava output of 166 and eastern Paraguay; northwestern South million t. Of the continent’s 28 million t, Brazil America (especially the Caribbean coast of alone accounts for about 70%. Despite the histor- Colombia); and the Greater Antilles (Cuba, ical importance of cassava, in recent years it has Haiti, Dominican Republic). The Americas gave laggedbehindothercropsingrowthratesforpro- cassava to the rest of the world after the arrival duction and utilization. The reasons are many, of early European explorers. Along with the with vital implications for projections of future species itself, these explorers introduced cultiva- crop development. Among the main factors, gov- tion and processing techniques from cassava’s ernment policies and trends in food demand * This chapter draws significantly on the work by Hershey et al. (1997) as the latter can be considered as the most complete and detailed assessment on this subject to date. Furthermore, the chapter incorporates cassava market information from consultancy reports by Henry et al. (1998) and Henry (1999). ©CAB International 2002. Cassava: Biology, Production and Utilization (eds R.J. Hillocks, J.M. Thresh and A.C. Bellotti) 17 29 Z:\Customer\CABI\A4101 - Hillocks - Cassava\A4212 - Hillocks - Cassava #R.vp Monday, February 04, 2002 11:21:40 AM Color profile: Disabled Composite Default screen 18 G. Henry and C. Hershey resulting from urbanization have tipped the Cassava in Selected Countries balance in favour of alternative food energy sources since the 1970s. Investment in cassava Cassava systems in South America and the has not been adequate to keep it competitive in Caribbean are highly varied in all their aspects; the agricultural and commercial worlds. As a hence it is useful to summarize cassava pro- crop predominantly grown and utilized by the duction in selected countries, before discussing poor, it has generally been relegated to a lower continent-wide systems and trends. For this status by both public and private research insti- purpose we highlight the seven countries with tutions. The future of cassava in Latin America the largest areas currently planted to cassava and the Caribbean (LAC) is defined most by its among producer countries in the region: Brazil, potential as a vehicle for linking the rural poor Colombia, Cuba, Haiti, Paraguay, Peru and to growth markets. This potential follows from Venezuela. These countries produce 97% of the the complex, interacting effects related to urban- region’s cassava (Table 2.1). ization, rising incomes, evolving trade policy and trends in other food and feed crops. This chapter gives an overview of cassava Brazil production, utilization and market aspects in the principal cassava-growing regions of Latin The region’s largest country has been near America. This will be accomplished by present- the top (currently third place) in total cassava ing briefs summaries of production systems and production globally, probably since the crop was production trends for cassava in several of the first cultivated. Cassava is a major crop in three major producer countries. Finally, some implica- of the country’s ecoregions: lowland humid tions for the future of cassava development in north (19.5% of production), the dry northeast Latin America are presented. (46.3%) and the subtropical south (21.1%). Table 2.1. Latin American cassava production trends, by country, 1983–1999. Year Cassava production (t) 1983 1987 1991 1995 1999 LAC 28,229,148 30,695,572 31,275,691 32,530,441 28,749,602 Argentina 28,139,000 28,148,300 28,150,000 28,160,000 28,165,000 Bolivia 28,180,385 28,424,248 28,414,598 28,295,700 28,400,006 Brazil 21,847,888 23,499,960 24,530,780 25,315,620 20,171,600 Colombia 1,554,700 1,260,390 1,645,213 1,751,899 1,956,051 Costa Rica 28,221,100 28,240,000 28,283,610 28,125,000 28,119,470 Cuba 28,325,000 28,305,000 28,300,000 28,250,000 28,250,000 Dominican Republic 28,292,514 28,297,836 28,137,422 28,136,821 28,155,755 Ecuador 28,194,794 28,131,190 28,290,279 28,275,683 28,138,172 El Salvador 28,223,322 28,227,887 28,232,080 28,232,495 28,230,000 Guatemala 32,539,100 32,539,832 28,214,000 28,215,952 28,216,000 Haiti 28,265,000 28,290,000 28,335,000 28,300,000 28,320,000 Honduras 32,536,554 32,537,400 32,538,215 32,538,730 28,210,081 Jamaica 28,217,188 32,517,021 28,212,111 28,217,447 28,214,972 Mexico 32,532,115 30,695,907 30,695,386 32,531,688 32,531,100 Nicaragua 28,272,680 28,256,000 28,252,000 28,251,500 28,251,000 Paraguay 2,610,000 3,467,700 2,584,900 3,054,394 3,500,000 Peru 28,485,443 28,537,033 28,410,693 28,547,439 28,885,100 Suriname 32,532,659 32,533,855 32,533,058 32,537,000 32,534,000 Trinidad and Tobago 32,532,000 30,695,717 32,531,107 30,695,696 32,531,400 Venezuela 28,324,733 28,317,776 28,381,069 28,299,233 28,487,685 Source: FAOSTAT, FAO (1999). 30 Z:\Customer\CABI\A4101 - Hillocks - Cassava\A4212 - Hillocks - Cassava #R.vp Monday, February 04, 2002 11:21:41 AM Color profile: Disabled Composite Default screen Cassava in South America and the Caribbean 19 There is minor production in the acid soil, 30–35 t ha−1 in intensive systems in Paraná and wet/dry savannahs of the central-west (campo Mato Grosso do Sul states. This has been due cerrado; 4.4%) and in the subhumid southeast mainly to better soils, larger farms and better (8.7%). Over the last 20 years, national produc- managers, but also, to a strong demand by tion has varied little, at about 2 million t year−1. cassava processors for cheap raw material, In the north (Amazon basin), however, produc- expanding production technology demand and tion has more than tripled in the past 25 years, adoption. reflecting the role of cassava in ‘frontier’ agricul- ture (IBGE, 1992). In Brazil bitter and sweet types of cassava are Colombia considered as different crops: aipim (sweet) and mandioca (bitter). Most of the cassava is of the Perhaps the Latin American country with the latter type (high cyanogenic potential), which highest agroecological diversity, Colombia hosts must be processed prior to consumption. The a wide range of systems for cassava cultivation main product is a coarse, toasted flour (farinha de and utilization. The highest proportion of pro- mandioca), the principal carbohydrate source of duction (45%) comes from the seasonally dry, the poor and a complement to many other dishes. semiarid Atlantic Coast region. Another 25% is The south leads in starch production for food and produced in inter-Andean valleys of the eastern industrial use (> 300,000 t year−1), as well as mountain range and 17% in the central part for on-farm feeding (roots and leaves). There is of the country. The eastern, acid-soil savannahs a nascent animal feed market for dried chips in (llanos orientales) and the high-rainfall Pacific the northeast, where the cultivation of cereal Coast are minor producers at 9 and 4%, crops is risky and shipping grain from the south respectively (Balcazar, 1997). (or Argentina) is relatively costly. Furthermore, Along with this diversity of environments during the last few years, some small- to comes a wide range of biological problems. All medium-sized factories in the south have started but a few of the pests and diseases that affect to produce a line of frozen cassava-based snacks cassava worldwide are endemic in Colombia. and convenience foods for national urban This not only represents a challenge for growers consumption and also for export.