Tropical root crops and their potential for food in the less developed countries

Abstract

Abstract Tropical root crops are important staple foods for about a third of the world's population. In this paper the production and consumption of tropical root crops by major world regions and individual countries are analyzed. Three of the world's leading producers and consumers of tropical root crops are China, Nigeria, and Brazil. The annual, global per capita consumption is about 70 kg. The nutritional content of tropical root crops is discussed, followed by a review of some nutritional studies done in India, Zambia, Brazil, and the South Pacific. In some countries tropical root crops supply up to 75% of the daily diet. Tropical root crops have high return to energy expenditure in their production. The various utilization methods of tropical root crops are then discussed. There is very little international trade in tropical root crops, the main products being cassava pellets and starch. Most of the trade is of a domestic nature, consisting of fresh tubers for urban markets. The contribution of tropical root crops in the agricultural economy of the main producing nations varies greatly. It ranges from about 25% in a highly subsistence oriented economy like Papua New Guinea to 10% in a semi‐subsistence economy like Fiji to a mere 2% in a highly commercialized economy like Japan. The development potential of tropical root crops is very high because they can produce large amounts of food per unit of labor or time, they are well adapted to a wide range of environments, and they have a strong interdependence with man. It is argued that in this hungry world tropical root crops have a major role to play in meeting the food needs of rural and urban populations of less developed countries. Rural development programs in many less developed countries would have greater chances of success if they were strongly integrated with tropical root crops development programs. Finally, general conclusions and recommendations for research and development in tropical root crops are made in agronomy, production systems, germplasm, breeding, diseases and pests, storage, utilization, and marketing.