State of the art of Indonesian agriculture and the introduction of innovation for added value of cassava

Abstract

The dramatic population increase with rapid industrialization in developing countries has placed great strains on food and energy supplies. This is also the case for Indonesia. Despite having fertile volcanic soil and a strong agriculture tradition, these assets are under pressure, and strategies to preserve them from industrialization are urgently needed. Recently, the number and the interest to take on the profession of farmer have sharply declined, mainly due to urbanization. It should also be noted that the agricultural lands, both their area and fertility, have decreased. Farming has also become more challenging due to climate change. An alternative solution to revitalize the agricultural sector, increase the number of farmers, and increase their livelihood is urgently needed to ensure food security. For this reason, strengthening research activities in the field of crop biotechnology to improve agriculture production, human health, and social security is required. There should be multi-stakeholder collaborative efforts to develop reliable and environmentally sustainable approaches for agriculture. In this paper, our focus is on the application of biotechnology for cassava processing. Cassava was chosen due to it being the fourth largest staple food in the tropics and is well studied in Indonesia. In connection with improving the livelihood of cassava farmers, an introduction of bioprocess for the improvement of economic value of cassava tuber is highlighted, including an example of work for converting of cassava tuber to mycoprotein. In comparison with a commercial product, our results have shown comparable, if not better characteristics.