April 26 – 28, 2000

FAO – Rome, Italy

ORGANISING COMMITTEE OF THE VALIDATION FORUM

INTRODUCTION

BACKGROUND NOTE

IFAD STATEMENT

FAO STATEMENT AND WELCOME ADDRESS

KEYNOTE ADDRESS

Marcio C. M. Porto, FAO, AGPC – Chair

NeBambi Lutaladio, FAO, AGPC – Secretary

Mpoko Bokanga, IITA

Hernán Ceballos, CIAT

Guy Henry, CIRAD

Truman Phillips, dTp Studies

Andrew Westby, NRI

Douglas Wholey, IFAD

Concepción Calpe, FAO, ESCB

Anna Coccia, FAO, ESCB

M. Satin, FAO, AGSI

Rosa Rolle, FAO, AGSI

Manuela Allara, FAO, AGPP

Frances Spiers-Centioni, FAO, AGPC

Christoph Diederichs, FAO, TCIL

The development of the Global Cassava Development Strategy (GCDS) and associated documents evolved from a brainstorming meeting convened by the International Fund for agricultural development (IFAD) in 1996 in Rome, Italy. Recognising the importance of cassava as staple food and a source of income for hundred of millions of poor people in marginal areas in many parts of Africa, Asia and, Latin America and the Caribbean, the meeting noted the urgent need to formulate an overall strategic plan for cassava development.

The strategy consists in a systematic approach to identifying opportunities and constraints at each stage of the commodity development cycle from production to consumption. It is also considered as a framework for technical co-operation in research and technology transfer and for future debates on global issues affecting cassava.

It is recognised that a GCDS requires a coalition of stakeholders including cassava producers and their organisations, governments and policy makers, donors, technical and research institutions and their networks, NGOs and their networks, and the private sector.

The development of the strategy was spearheaded by IFAD and the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) in collaboration with the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), the International Centre for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT), the Natural Resources Institute (NRI) and the "Centre de coopération internationale en recherche agronomique pour le développement" (CIRAD). The strategy is based upon a number of country case studies (for Benin, Brazil, Colombia, Ghana, Nigeria, Tanzania, Thailand, Uganda and Vietnam), regional reviews (for Africa, Asia and Latin America) and cross-cutting thematic papers (on cassava markets and environmental issues of cassava production and processing) that were funded by IFAD, World Bank, Swiss Development Co-operation and the International Development Research Centre (IDRC). In a review workshop held in 1997 in Rome, these studies were reviewed and plan for completion of the strategy was developed. The plans covered the drafting of the strategy document by international experts, D. Plucknett, T.P. Phillips and R.B. Kagbo in 1998. roulette game online

The strategy presents a vision that cassava will spur rural industrial development and raise incomes for producers, processors and traders and it will contribute to food security status of its producing and consuming households. The essence of the GCDS is to use a demand-driven approach to promote and develop cassava-based industries with the assistance of a coalition of groups and individuals interested in developing the cassava industry.

Following the preparation of the draft document which was distributed to regional and international bodies, and individuals for comments and modifications, a series of regional consultation meetings were organised to gather ideas and suggestions to strengthen the strategy and agree on the approach proposed in the draft document. The regional consultations also provided an opportunity to ascertain the role and contribution of cassava to food security and poverty alleviation and the opportunities for cassava development. The consultations meetings for specific Regions and groups were held as follows:

• Eastern and Southern Africa: Kampala, Uganda, March 1998

• Latin America and the Caribbean: Cali, Colombia, April 1998

• African researchers during the Symposium of the International Society for Tropical Root Crops – Africa Branch: Cotonou, Benin, October 1998

• Asia: Bangkok, Thailand, December 1998

• West and Central Africa: Accra, Ghana, June 1999

Further to the West and Central Africa consultation meeting, a Progress Review meeting was also organised in Accra in June 1999 to review progress made in the formulation of the GCDS and prepare a course of action for the Validation Forum.

The GCDS Validation Forum was jointly organised by FAO and IFAD under the auspices of the FAO-Headquarters in Rome. There were 78 participants (45 invitees, 6 from IFAD and 27 from FAO) who attended the Forum, representing the public and private sectors, NGOs, Farmers' Organizations, IARCs (CIAT, IITA, IPGRI) and their networks (ACRAC, CEWARRNET, CLAYUCA, CEWARRNET, ISTRC-AB), AROs (CIRAD, NRI and the Universities of Hohenheim and Bath), financing and donors agencies (ADB, CFC, IDRC, IFAD, IFS, USAID), and selected national institutions (mainly those which contributed with Country Case Studies for the Strategy). Participants were from 22 countries.

The forum included presentations of: the background to the GCDS, Cassava Regional Reviews, Thematic Review, Cassava Medium-Term Outlook, the GCDS document, a Proposal of an Action Plan for the Implementation of the Strategy, as well as the Global Programmes for Commodity Chains. Three Working Groups were formed to discuss Co-ordination; Information Management; and Linkages and Integration. The plenary presentations by Working Groups addressed the problems raised in each of the groups and identified main activities for the implementation of the strategy. After discussion, a Drafting Committee was set up to prepare conclusions and recommendations for the forum. In the final plenary session, conclusions and recommendations were presented. During the discussion, participants provided valuable inputs for consideration in the implementation plan proposal. A representative of each of the principal stakeholders made a statement on their perception with regard to the GCDS and its implementation plan. Finally, participants were asked to confirm if they agreed to endorse the strategy and adopt the outline implementation plan. Want to sell property Bulgaria favorably.

The GCDS was endorsed with the following key points highlighted:

• It should be demand driven and/or market oriented and take advantage of market opportunities for traditional and new products;

• It should follow an integrated approach involving simultaneously production, processing and marketing;

• It should have catalysts and champions to facilitate cassava development;

• It needs to be applicable to a wide range of stakeholders and implemented at various paces and levels starting from national, through regional to global;

• It should address issues of sustainability, gender and equity, and potential environment impact;

• It should address food security concerns for disaster mitigation and recovery situations.

The Implementation Plan adopted during the forum draws on the principles outlined in the strategy document and takes into consideration the priorities established by representatives of the public and private sectors during the various consultation meetings. It reflects the discussions and conclusions reached by the participants in the Forum.

It was agreed that FAO, in its condition as an international organisation supported by a large number of member Governments, has a key facilitation role to play in the implementation of the Strategy. In the first place, FAO will publish the report of the Validation Forum using funds made available by IFAD. FAO will also be responsible for the maintenance, updating and enhancement of the GCDS Web Site, which is already accessible through the FAO’s Web Page. It was acknowledged, however, that commitments were required from other organisations to assist in promoting and co-ordinating the implementation of the Strategy. The Implementation Plan provides a basic mechanism to facilitate the design of cassava development activities, spanning around three main areas, namely: co-ordination; information and promotion; and linkages and Integration. The undertaking of activities in the three areas will need commitments from a range of institutions and groups of stakeholders. The presence of Catalysts and Champions to help and promote the implementation of activities is crucial for the successful implementation of the Strategy. Actions required at the global, regional and national level are listed in the implementation plan. look for free screen recorder faqs here

K. van de Sand

Assistant Director, Project Management Department

The Director of AGP and colleagues at the FAO, distinguished visitors from overseas – government officials, scientists from the research centres, members of the private and civil sectors, and representatives of development agencies, including my IFAD colleagues.

Welcome to this important meeting – a "Forum" to validate the Global Cassava Development Strategy – and where else to hold a "Forum" but in Rome?

IFAD’s mandate is the alleviation of rural poverty through agricultural development, and the importance of the cassava crop in this context became apparent at an early stage of IFAD’s existence. However, it was not until 1996 that the development of a global strategy for cassava development began. Which, incidentally was before I joined IFAD, therefore I am pleased that Mr Cheikh Sourang has been able to join us to make a keynote presentation during the opening session this morning, as it was Cheikh who played a leadership role during most of the process that has resulted in the Global Cassava Development Strategy. I trust that Cheikh will take us back to the beginning of the process and highlight once again the issues that led to the initiation of this important activity. As most of you already know Cheikh took on a new challenge last year when he moved to the Global Mechanism of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification.

During the process which led to the drafting of the Global Strategy (as we came to know it in IFAD), we were fortunate to have the support of a number of organisations and institutions – and I pay tribute to these. FAO, the co-sponsor of this event have been fully supportive throughout. CIAT, IITA, CIRAD, NRI, IDRC, and the World Bank also provided support by sponsoring the participation of an impressive group of cassava specialists – many of whom have continued to play a key role in the four years of cassava strategy-related activities that culminated in this meeting.

I expect that Cheikh Sourang will tell us about the many studies that were sponsored by IFAD, FAO, IDRC and other agencies. I will limit my comments to applauding the hard work put in by the teams involved at the national, regional and global level. These reports presented the information and generated the knowledge represented in the Global Cassava Development Strategy that we have here in front of us.

During the process leading to the cassava strategy, expectations have been raised. "What happens next?" is in the forefront of many minds. "Is this the end of the road?" or a "Break in the journey?". We at IFAD trust that our support to the cassava strategy will be seen to represent the initiation of an on-going process with a multi-agency Task Force to take it forward. We recognise that implementation at the national and regional level will be an important next step.

Whilst IFAD remains fully committed to cassava development, we recognise our limitations, one of which is our lack of representation at the national and regional levels. It is for this reason that we were very pleased to learn of FAO’s keen interest in taking forward the Cassava Strategy into the implementation phase. Not only does FAO have the national and regional representation that IFAD lacks, it also has a cadre of expert staff in all aspects of cassava; production, processing, marketing and utilisation - as we shall see from presentations during the next two days. It is therefore my pleasure to entrust the implementation of the cassava strategy to FAO’s capable hands. IFAD is available to participate as a member of the Task Force if it is considered appropriate at this meeting.

Finally, before I formally declare this "Forum" open, I would like to thank the organising committee chaired by FAO’s Mr Marcio Porto for the hard work that they put into making this event happen.

Thank you and enjoy the Forum!

Dr M. Duwayri

Director, Plant Production and Protection Division

The Assistant President of IFAD,

Representatives of Donor Community and Private Sectors,

Distinguished Delegates and Colleagues,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is an honour to welcome you today on behalf of FAO. This Forum, jointly organised by IFAD and FAO provides an opportunity for taking stock on progress made so far in the formulation of the Global Cassava Development Strategy. It is my greatest pleasure to be here with you and be part of this coalition of stakeholders, including the representatives of farmers' associations, non-governmental organisations, donor agencies, policy makers, universities, research and development institutions and their networks, and the private sector.

At a time when a variety of approaches to poverty alleviation are being considered, increased attention is being paid to food security. In this regard, in 1994 FAO launched the Special Programme for Food Security to help countries to improve food security - through rapid increases in food production and by reducing year-to-year variability - on an economically and environmentally sustainable basis. Under this initiative cassava deserves special attention.

It is easy to understand the importance given by FAO to cassava, a crop of American origin that has spread across the tropical world to become one of the most strategic food crops in Africa, while maintaining its importance in Latin America and Asia.

It is often said that cassava is a poor man's crop and this is true. The broad agro-ecological adaptability of cassava and its ability to produce reasonable yields where most crops can not, makes it the basis for food security at household level and an important source of dietary energy. Proof that cassava can significantly contribute to solve food insecurity was demonstrated in the recent FAO publication on The State of Food Insecurity in the World. One of the reasons why Ghana was able to reduce the number of undernourished people was the impact of a 39% increase in cassava yields at farmer's level. Ghana reduced undernourishment more rapidly than any other country in the world and its average food intake soared from 1,790 calories per day to more than 2,600 calories.

Restricting the role of cassava to a "subsistence crop" is not enough and is unfair. Cassava is also a good industrial raw material, as demonstrated by the numerous products manufactured from its roots. Latin America and Asia are increasingly using cassava to produce native and modified starches, which can compete with cereals and bring higher income for developing countries. The example of Thailand, which used the full potential of the crop to export massive amounts of chips and pellets for the crucial feed sectors in Europe, is a clear one.

However, the potential and the importance of cassava is often not fully appreciated by governments of developing countries, perhaps because they are too accustomed to seeing cassava as a native crop that does not deserve as high a status as imported products. Cassava itself, with its ability to produce well under very marginal conditions maybe responsible for this lack of interest! This has to be changed and the potential of cassava as a strategic crop for the tropics will have to be recognised and exploited.

An important question posed in the Cassava Strategy Document is: "can cassava, a traditional subsistence food crop, become the raw material base for an array of processed products and industrial development and thereby contribute to agricultural transformation and economic growth in developing countries?" We believe that with a clear commitment from all types of stakeholders we can promote agricultural development taking cassava as the driving force.

I am pleased to confirm that FAO is committed to assisting member countries in implementing the Cassava Strategy at national, regional and international level. In this regard, attention will be given to strengthening linkages and partnerships, with a view to enhancing and supporting the cassava commodity chain. Special emphasis will be given to the management and exchange of information and knowledge for the development of value-added products from integrated projects through better definition of priorities, adoption of improved and responsible technologies. Sound mechanisms for co-ordination of interventions and investment efforts will be put in place to reduce duplication and, optimise cross-fertilisation and economies of scale.

I would like to commend IFAD for its role in launching this initiative, and IFAD and IDRC for the financial support provided during the formulation of the strategy and in the organisation of this Forum. I also thank the main collaborating institutions (CIAT, CIRAD, IITA and NRI), the experts from countries who prepared Country Case studies, and the large number of representatives of both the public and private sectors who attended the five regional consultations held in 1998 and 1999. I am confident that discussions for the endorsement of the strategy and its related implementation plan of actions will be fruitful.

I wish you a successful meeting and declare the Validation Forum officially open.

Thank you all for your attention.

Rehabilitating a long-neglected crop, as a demand-driven approach to poverty alleviation: Background and objectives, achievements and challenges

Cheikh M. Sourang

Senior Programme Manager

Global Mechanism, IFAD

Distinguished Delegates,

Dear Colleagues,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Four years ago, an international brainstorming meeting was convened by IFAD in Rome, to articulate a vision and initiate a process of strategic planning, to promote the development of cassava as a staple food and a source of income for hundreds of millions of poor people in Africa, Latin America and Asia.

Today, on the occasion of a much awaited Forum to validate what is known as the-Global Cassava Development Strategy (GCDS), it is my privilege to present an overview of the progress made and the challenges ahead of us.

But first of all, on behalf of the representatives of the core group of institutions that have been moving this process forward, I should like first to request Mr Klemmens van de Sand and Mr M. Duwayri to convey to our expression of gratitude to IFAD and FAO respective managements, for the continuing financial and technical support as well as the policy guidance, without which we would not be here today. Among the many people in this audience who have supported our efforts, let me also recognise Mr Yahia Bouarfa, for his continuing commitment and encouragement all along.

Having said that, let me now go back to how we started, what was achieved, and where do we move from here?

Poverty reduction as an entry point

There is ample empirical evidence to show the close correlation that exists between the level of poverty of rural households in many parts of the tropical world and the role that cassava plays in their farming and food systems. This relationship is due to the comparative advantage of cassava over cereals and traditional cash crops, in terms of resistance to drought, suitability to poor soils, long term storability, etc ... Hence, the attractiveness of cassava as a fall back option for households facing resource constraints, and difficult access to markets and services.

At the same time, this relationship suggests that the dissemination of sustainable production technologies, combined with the development of market opportunities for cassava, could increase household food security and contribute substantially to economic diversification and poverty alleviation.

Operational objectives of the GCDS

Consequently, in light of past experiences from isolated interventions for cassava development, the 1996 Brainstorming Meeting recognised the need to formulate an overall strategic plan. Rather than a blueprint of interventions which ignore the regional specifications and the country priorities, the GCDS consists in a systematic approach to identify the opportunities and constraints at each stage of the commodity development cycle, and building bridges from research to extension, from production to consumption. In this context, special attention is paid to technical and socio-economic issues related to farming systems, gender and environment.

More specifically, the strategic planning effort has aimed at the following objectives:

1. Identify the opportunities for private investments and public interventions to respond to market failures and to help ensure food security;

2. Identify constraints in order to determine and prioritize a research agenda;

3. Define more cost-effective institutional mechanisms to help rationalize the allocation of public and private resources for research;

4. Develop a framework for technical cooperation at international level in research and technology transfer that would reflect regional/national specificity and institutional comparative advantages;

5. Set the scene for future debates on global issues, such as trade, that may affect cassava development.

The review and consultation process

As the basis for the strategic planning, the reviews and consultations facilitated and (co)-financed by IFAD at international or regional levels have brought together and received support from stakeholders such as policy makers, farmers' organizations, NGOs and the private sector; national and regional research institutes and their networks; and intergovernmental organizations of cassava producing countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America and the Caribbean.

Such meetings have enlisted the participation of international development partners such as the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the World Bank, the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), the International Centre for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT), the United Kingdom Natural Resource Institute (NRI), the International Cooperation Centre on Agrarian Research for Development/Promotion of Tropical Amyloids (CIRAD/PROAMYL-France), the Canadian International Development Research Centre (IDRC), Swiss Development Cooperation (SDC, the German Agency for Technical Cooperation (GTZ), and the Common Fund for Commodities (CFC).

The strategic planning work has capitalized on a series of diagnostic studies, including three regional studies (Africa; Asia; and Latin America and the Caribbean) and country case studies (including, inter alia, Brazil, Colombia, Ghana, Nigeria, Thailand, Tanzania, Uganda, and Viet Nam). In addition, a number of thematic reviews related to cross-cutting issues have been initiated and co-financed by partners, with special reference to cassava markets: product definition and market identification at national and international levels; environmental aspects such as pollution from processing, soil fertility management, and soil erosion control; and food security, gender and nutrition.

An increasing number of governments have shown interest in the cassava strategy formulation. Hence the need, in respect of the related case studies and regional consultations, to proceed at a pace which allowed sufficient time for ownership on the part of all stakeholders.

A Draft Strategy Document was produced in 1998 and discussed, alongside regional reviews, during stakeholder workshops, which helped determine regional priorities. Successive regional consultations took place in 1998 and 1999:

• In Latin America (Cali, Colombia) in April 1998, with CIAT as convenor;

• In East and Southern Africa (Kampala, Uganda) in June 1998, under the aegis of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA);

• In Asia (Bangkok, Thailand) in November 1998, organized by CIAT;

• In West and Central Africa (Accra, Ghana) in June 1999, under the aegis of the Conference of Ministers of Agriculture of West and Central Africa and the West African Conference of Research Managers (CORAF);

• In November 1998, a brainstorming session on research priorities was organized by African researchers from 34 countries, on the occasion of the seventh symposium of the Africa branch of the International Society for Tropical Roots and Tubers.

• In West Africa (Accra, Ghana) in June 1999, organised by IFAD and FAO

Initial outcome of the strategic planning and its linkages with relevant initiatives

The completed case studies and the related consultations have enhanced the level of stakeholders awareness about new investment and partnership opportunities. This process has also created a favourable environment for follow-up activities and their operational linkages with other relevant initiatives at field level. Some of these initiatives are briefly discussed below:

• A decision was taken in 1998 to extend the mandate of FAO's Inter-Governmental Group (IGG) on Grains and Pulses as an institutional channel for submission of roots and tubers development projects for co-financing by the Common Fund for Commodities; this is a significant step towards the establishment of effective international consultation mechanisms bringing together governmental representatives from the major cassava producing and consuming countries. The fact that such a consultative mechanism does not exist, may be a reflection of the limited institutional interest that such an important crop has received in the past.

• In light of the needs and opportunities identified during the Latin America and the Caribbean stakeholders' consultation, CIAT put forward a proposal for establishing a region-wide, non-profit consortium for cassava development (which came to be known as CLAYUCA), bringing together representatives from public and private sectors, as well as NGOs and farmers' organizations. The objective is to establish a "self-financing mechanism for setting priorities, defining strategies and funding international collaborative cassava research activities that are considered by consortium members to be essential for the development of the crop in their respective countries".

• In Latin America, CIAT is already actively collaborating with IFAD supported projects (for example in Brazil and Colombia), where arrangements have been made for training segments of IFAD's target group in the production of animal feed, using cassava roots and foliage, as an option for income diversification.

• At global level, the GCDS could serve as a basis for international collaboration and scientific cooperation, in light of established regional priorities. Finally, as a common element to interventions at all levels, the role of information and knowledge management cannot be over-emphasised, as a critical activity encompassing thematic studies, market information, best practices at various stages of the research - production - consumption continuum.

The way forward

In conclusion, one could perhaps venture the judgement that, in the history of man's efforts to domesticate plants for the purpose of food security or income generation, few crops other than cassava (if any) have been labelled in so many contrasting ways. For many people, the rehabilitation of cassava's image will be difficult as this crop remains victim of persistent "clichés" associated with the stigma of depleting soil nutrients, cyanide poisoning, or low status symbol as a staple food. For others, cassava holds promises of an easily grown, wonder crop which could solve problems of food security and generate household income and export earnings. Obviously, the truth is somewhere in between, i.e. cassava is neither a symbol of desperation nor a panacea: it is a crop that draws its uniqueness from its versatility and adaptability. Hence, its tremendous potential to contribute to rural development, as a source of food and cash, on the basis of available technological alternatives, in terms of production, processing and soil fertility management. In light of the Global Cassava Development Strategy, it appears however, that the development potential of the cassava system, as part of broader picture of the rural economy, will materialise in step with progress made in market identification and access to infrastructure and services, improvements in cassava production and processing methods, and cassava product diversification, combined with a broad-based approach to networking and linkages at various levels and in various directions. In other words, the long term impact of the Global Cassava Development Strategy would depend on the degree of success in mainstreaming its major thrusts into the country strategies and programmes aimed at improving the economic environment and the rural livelihoods.

Scaling up the implementation of the GCDS

While the participatory elaboration and validation of the GCDS is a significant achievement, an even more daunting task will be to implement it on a large scale and in a sustainable manner. However, judging from the outcome of the stakeholders consultations, it would seem that the solutions to this challenge hold in two key words: mainstreaming and networking. In other words, special attention should be paid to facilitating the conceptual and operational linkages between the Global Cassava Development Strategy and other relevant research or development support initiatives.

When it comes to mainstreaming, the issue is not how to determine up front the ways in which the Governments and the donors can finance the implementation of the GCDS, but the other way round, to see to what extent the main thrusts of the GCDS (e.g. food security of poor households, or income generation for women, or job creation for the youth, etc.) can enhance the impact of the specific projects and programmes supported by Governments and/or the donors. However, it may be desirable to adopt a flexible approach to the donors and technical agencies' support to the GCDS, taking into account the thematic articulation of the strategy of such agencies in the concerned regions or countries.

A concurrent approach to mainstream will consist in identifying the interface between the sectoral and national strategies (for agriculture, rural development, poverty reduction, etc.) as elaborated by the technical and planning departments of the Government. And then, by highlighting the value added that cassava development activities can contribute to the Government strategies, there are greater chances for the GCDS to receive adequate attention from decision makers.

There is also scope for interfacing the GCDS with relevant international conventions, including those dealing with international economic cooperation, such as the Lome Convention. The GCDS is also relevant to international conventions on environment and sustainable development, such those dealing with biodiversity and desertification, bearing in mind the fact that many traditional varieties have been abandoned (hence a risk to biodiversity) as a result of many factors including market integration. Likewise, the increasing popularity of cassava among producers and consumers in drylands opens new prospects for collaboration with the GCDS and the Global Environment Fund (GEF).

In practical terms, the implementation of the GCDS would require a multipronged approach, at national, regional and international levels. At national level, the critical path would involve a review of experiences to identify opportunities and constraints and key stakeholders in the cassava system, as well as champions and catalysts. The GCDS provides for a systematic approach to the research-production-consumption cycle. This will help identify the constraints and potentials at each stage of the cycle (research, production, processing and marketing), and to establish the vertical or horizontal linkages that are necessary for lifting the barriers to cassava development. Depending on the circumstances, such barriers may be related to the consumers preference, or the producers access to inputs, markets, credit, infrastructure, etc., which may be addressed through linkages with other relevant thematic programmes funded by donors.

At regional level, the formulation of the GCDS has gone a long way to discus regional priorities and identify regional constraints. The challenge remains to formulate regional programmes that add value to national level activities and do not duplicate them.

In Sub-Saharan Africa, regional project proposals have been prepared by IITA, under the aegis of the sub-regional roots and tubers networks in West and Central Africa, and in East and Southern Africa. Project activities are aimed at promoting sustainable production, agro-processing and market expansion with a view to improving the incomes of women and the poor; and strengthening sub-regional research networks.

Strategic planning activities in Sub-Saharan Africa in West and Central Africa in particular, are based on significant IFAD experience in cassava development at country level, as is the case in Nigeria, Ghana, and Benin.

Ghana's commitment to a long-standing experience in cassava development is illustrated by supply of traditional foodstuffs to local and urban markets, and private sector exports of cassava chips. This provides a promising basis for a comprehensive approach to the development of commodity systems. The combined IFAD/World Bank project portfolios in Ghana comprise a diversity of interventions, ranging from rural infrastructure to provision of agricultural and rural financial services, hence the possibility of mobilising a critical mass of activities as a contribution to agricultural transformation: this means graduating from subsistence farming to sustainable resource management. The results of IFAD's previous interventions in Ghana will be consolidated in the context of the Roots and Tubers Improvement Programme launched over a year ago, with a two- pronged emphasis on distribution of improved planting material and promotion of processing and market linkages.

A similar programme is being funded by an ADB loan in Nigeria, as a follow-up to the IFAD assisted Cassava Multiplication Programme. The latter programme has contributed to a more than three fold increase in national cassava output, making Nigeria the world's biggest producing country.

The Government of the Republic of Niger has recently requested IFAD's assistance to implement a national initiative for cassava development including trials, multiplication and distribution of improved varieties adapted to Sahelian conditions, and promotion of cassava processing and marketing.

In Benin, the government's commitment to cassava development and the promising achievements of IFAD's ongoing income generation and micro-finance programmes open up good prospects for field linkages.

In the Asia and the Pacific region, as stated in the regional review, there is broad consensus that cassava has a pivotal role to play in rural development. This role continues to evolve, driven largely by the globalisation of markets, long-term income growth, increasing populations, new technology options for cassava and alternative energy sources. The three research and development activities identified as most important for realising development goals are: processing and product development, market development, and varietal improvement. The identification of potential projects has followed these themes to a large degree, but with one proposal aimed at reducing the environmental impact of starch processing.

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