Cassava

The Crop Trust presents: cassava in color. Cassava originated in the Amazon but is today at home across the tropics. It is a lifeline for millions of small farmers, especially in Africa, who rely on its dependable harvest of large, carbohydrate-rich roots. Meanwhile in Southeast Asia cassava is booming, with new varieties released regularly and new markets opening up for the crop’s high grade starch. And the best news is yet to come: as climates change, heat-loving cassava is one of the few crops that is projected to perform even better. This will depend, however, on the different cassava regions continuing to share their diversity to overcome mounting disease and pest threats.

Despite being the sixth most farmed crop on the planet – and a likely star player in our hotter future – cassava roots are not a common sight in temperate regions. Whether you are familiar with the joys of cassava or not, join our photographers here as they follow the crop’s global networks.