Africa on the Ground

Food

Cassava: the American crop that feeds Africa

Most people who eat garri or fufu today are eating a plant that came from Brazil in the 16th century.

1 minute read · every sentence below carries its source number

In the record

The idea

Cassava feels like the oldest food in many African kitchens. It is not as old as it feels.

Where it comes from

Cassava originated in South America; wild populations are centred in west-central Brazil, where it was probably first domesticated no more than 10,000 years ago.[1] Portuguese traders introduced it to Africa from Brazil in the 16th century.[1]

Making it safe

Raw cassava roots, peels and leaves are dangerous to eat because they contain toxic cyanogenic glycosides.[1] Traditional preparation, soaking, fermenting and cooking, reduces the cyanogenic potential by 85 to 99 per cent.[1]

Garri, fufu and lafun in West Africa are made by soaking, fermenting and cooking cassava roots.[1]

Nigeria's share

Nigeria produced 60.8 million tonnes of cassava in 2022, about 18% of the world's 330 million tonnes.[1]

What we do not know
  • Every claim rests on one Wikipedia article. The production figures should be checked against the FAO's statistics and the history against a food historian.
  • Cassava came to Africa in the 16th century; this page does not say how, in what quantities or with what consequences for the people who grew it.
  • Only West African dishes are named. Cassava is eaten across the continent under many other names.
From people who know this

What readers add

No local voice on this story yet.Notes are added once the author has agreed to publication, and are read by people who know the subject afterwards.

Sources

  1. Encyclopedia · to verify[1] Cassava. Wikipedia. en.wikipedia.org retrieved 8 Oct 2026
    Used for origin, arrival in Africa, production figures, toxicity and processing. Only the first 100,000 characters were read; production figures should be checked against FAO.

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