Africa is producing more cassava than ever before — but farmers are harvesting less from each hectare.

Cassava is the primary staple food for more than 300 million people in the tropics and Africa’s third most important staple after maize and rice. Today, Africa produces 65% of the world’s cassava, up from 44% in the 1960s. Production has increased nearly sevenfold since 1961, yet yields per hectare have barely improved, rising only 1.5 times. In the past decade, yields have even declined by 2% (Data from https://ourworldindata.org).

The situation is striking in Nigeria: in 2011, farmers harvested about 11 tons per hectare, but ten years later it was only 5.8 tons (Data from https://ourworldindata.org). Total output continues to rise, but only because more land is being used. This is not sustainable.

Diseases such as CMD and CBSD, old planting material, degraded soils, limited fertilizer access, and lack of farmer training all contribute to the decline. And with climate change bringing heat, drought, and unpredictable rainfall, the pressure is only increasing.

If yields don’t rise, forests and savannahs will keep disappearing for new farmland. That’s bad for nature and risky for farmers who already work hard but see little reward. The solution is not more land — the solution is more productivity. Resistant varieties, healthy planting material, better soil management, strong extension services, and advanced breeding technologies are key.

Cassava holds immense potential. Unlocking it is vital for food security, farmer livelihoods, and the environment.

What do you think is the biggest barrier to increasing cassava yields in Africa — and how can we best overcome it?