Cassava : Adding Value For Africa.

 Cassava: Adding Value for Africa (C:AVA). Cassava or manioc (Manihot esculenta) is a perennial woody shrub with an edible root, which grows in tropical and subtropical areas of the world and has much ability to withstand difficult growing conditions. Cassava is one of the most drought-tolerant crops. 

It is a starchy root tuber, native to South America and serves as a major source of calories and carbohydrates for people in developing countries. 

Analysts believe that the most commonly consumed part of cassava is the root, which can be eaten whole, grated or ground into flour to make bread and crackers.  They note that cassava root is the raw material for tapioca and ‘garri’ a staple food in Nigeria.

 Garri can replace flour in the use of bread and other confectioneries.  Echbee Foods has found innovative ways to use garri to provide wholesome nutritious meals that are affordable.

          

 A Food Biochemist and Chief Executive of the So Tastee Cakes and Pastries, Mr Emmanuel Osiname, believes that individuals with food allergies can benefit from using cassava root in cooking and baking because it is gluten-free. He, however, advises that the cassava root must be dried, cooked and processed before eaten. 

According to the Cassava: Adding Value for Africa (C:AVA), an initiative of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Nigeria is the largest producer of cassava in the world with current annual output of about 54 million metric tonnes. C:AVA made the observation in its training manual on the use of High Quality Cassava Flour (HQCF) in confectioneries. It is, however, worried that Nigeria does not contribute meaningfully in terms of value added in global trade.

GLYPHOSATE .

Glyphosate is a herbicide applied to leaves to kill grasses and weeds. It is the most-used agricultural chemical in the world, and experienced a boom in use beginning in the 1990s, according to Newsweek. Glyphosate use in agriculture was previously hampered by the product often killing not only weeds but the crops it was intended to protect. But in the 1990s, Monsanto began producing genetically modified crop strains resistant to glyphosate, to which the herbicide could be applied without damaging the crop. Oats, a very commonly used grain in breakfast foods, are not modified for glyphosate resistance. Farmers often use the product on oats to kill the crops and dry them out, to hasten harvesting. A 2013 study found that glyphosate can induce the growth of breast cancer cells in humans while another study from last year found links between applications of glyphosate and fatty liver disease in rats.

Pesticides, human health, and food security.

Pesticides, human health, and food security. The worldwide population is projected to increase to 9 billion by 2050 (United Nations 2015). To accommodate this increase, food production will necessarily need to increase as well. However, new agricultural land is limited, so sustainable production and increasing productivity of existing agricultural land is an important aspect to addressing global food security (Popp et al. 2013). Food security has been described as a condition of humanity “…when all people, at all times, have physical and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life.” (Food and Agriculture Organization 1996). Increases in the terrestrial agricultural production of food and fish farming will be necessary to ensure adequate food availability, but this is only part of the larger concept of food security that also comprises food access, utilization, and stability (Food and Agriculture Organization 2006). Given that there is limited additional land available for agriculture and sites for fish farming coupled with increasing economic pressures to produce agricultural commodities for industrial purposes, including fiber and biofuels, strategies to increase agricultural yield will need to be used to meet the increase in food demand for the immediate future . For the near and foreseeable future, pesticides may be an important component of a comprehensive strategy to increase crop yield by preventing both pre and postharvest loss to pests.“Pesticides are substances used to prevent, destroy, repel or mitigate any pest ranging from insects, animals and weeds to microorganisms” (Grube et al. 2011), but inadvertent exposure to pesticides may adversely affect human health. Glyphosate, an herbicide linked to cancer by California state scientists and the World Health Organization is the active ingredient in Roundup, the Monsanto weed killer that is the most heavily used pesticide ,has been found to leave residue in food thus posing health risks. Each year, more than 250 million pounds of glyphosate are sprayed on American crops, primarily on “Roundup-ready” corn and soybeans genetically engineered to withstand the herbicide. But when it comes to the food we eat, the highest glyphosate levels are not found in products made with GMO corn. Increasingly, glyphosate is also sprayed just before harvest on wheat, barley, oats and beans that are not genetically engineered. Glyphosate kills the crop, drying it out so that it can be harvested sooner than if the plant were allowed to die naturally.

Weed Killer in $289 Million Cancer Verdict Found in Oat Cereal and Granola Bars.

Weed Killer in $289 Million Cancer Verdict Found in Oat Cereal and Granola Bars.Popular oat cereals, oatmeal, granola and snack bars come with a hefty dose of the weed-killing poison in Roundup, according to independent laboratory tests commissioned by EWG. Glyphosate, an herbicide linked to cancer by California state scientists and the World Health Organization, was found in all but two of 45 samples of products made with conventionally grown oats. Almost three-fourths of those samples had glyphosate levels higher than what EWG scientists consider protective of children’s health with an adequate margin of safety. About one-third of 16 samples made with organically grown oats also had glyphosate, all at levels well below EWG’s health benchmark. Glyphosate is the active ingredient in Roundup, the Monsanto weed killer that is the most heavily used pesticide in the U.S.

Startup : Cassava processing as a lucrative start up venture.

Agribusiness: Cassava processing is a startup that can change your life. Garri and Cassava production – A small business that can change your life! Garri and cassava production in Africa is an impressive business opportunity for the continent, especially West and Central Africa. 

  Cassava is one of the most popular and widely consumed food crops in Africa. Because it is such an important food in the region and an extremely versatile crop, it is commonly referred to as cornerstone of food security in Africa.  

 The competing needs for cassava cut across both human and animal consumption. It is fast becoming a popular raw material in industrial production and is now a preferred material for making biofuels. As Africa’s population and economy continues to grow rapidly, the demand for food staples like cassava has increased. This high demand for various forms of processed cassava is pushing prices to the ceiling. Several small scale cassava farmers are making a fortune and changing their lives through this business. Why is cassava an important food crop for Africa? 

Cassava is highly adaptable to the African tropical climate and soils, and remains very popular for producing excellent harvests even when other crops fail. It is also the most widely available source of carbohydrates and dietary energy in Africa. Processed forms of cassava, especially garri, fufu and tapioca, are very common throughout West Africa. 

Garri is hugely popular in the region as it has traditionally remained cheaper than other carbohydrate sources, especially rice and maize. Garri ( tapioca) is the most widely traded processed cassava product. It is estimated that more than 75 percent of the cassava produced in Africa is processed into garri.

Monsanto knew about glyphosate-cancer link 35 years ago.

Monsanto knew about glyphosate-cancer link 35 years ago. The almighty Monsanto has recently come under fire, after the World Health Organization labeled the main ingredient in the company’s popular Roundup weed killer product to be a human carcinogen. Monsanto is currently in damage control mode in an effort to pick up the pieces from this public relations disaster. In reality, Monsanto has known about the link between glyphosate and cancer for upwards of 35 years. It’s no surprise the evil giant has kept quiet for profit’s sake. The effects of glyphosate on the human body have been studied for years by research scientist Dr. Anthony Samsel, who has revealed the harmfulness of its nature. Samsel has also worked with Dr. Stephanie Seneff, who released a warning that upwards of half of all children in the U.S. could be autistic by year 2025. The impending autism rate will largely be caused by exposure to glyphosate. Samsel was recently given a look into a “trade secret” file that had been sealed away since 1981 at the request of the Monsanto Company. Samsel was able to view the document thanks to his field of study. Though he was not granted permission to show the file to anyone, he is allowed to speak his thoughts on his findings. Samsel was interviewed by journalist Tony Mitra, and spoke about his findings on camera. He talks about disturbing evidence which shows “significant incidences of cell tumors of the tests and tumor growth in multiple organs and tissues” of lab animals. Samsel also discusses the fact that there is evidence that glyphosate enters bone marrow almost immediately. This entry into the bone marrow prevents the formation of new cells in living organisms. Samsel continues to highlight a higher incidence of benign tumors and cancerous tumors that, in almost every single case, begin in outer tissues.

New type of bed net could help fight against malaria.

New type of bed net could help fight against malaria.A new type of bed net could prevent millions of cases of malaria, according to new research published in The Lancet.The two-year clinical trial in Burkina Faso, West Africa involving 2,000 children showed that the number of cases of clinical malaria was reduced by 12 per cent with the new type of mosquito net compared to the conventional one used normally. The study resulted from a collaboration of scientists from Durham University (UK), Centre National de Recherche et de Formation sur le Paludisme (Burkina Faso), Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (UK) and the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute (Switzerland). It found that: The number of cases of clinical malaria reduced by 12 per cent with the new type of mosquito net compared to conventional nets. Children sleeping under the new bed nets were 52 per cent less likely to be moderately anemic than those with a conventional net. Malaria anemia is a major cause of mortality in children under two years old. In areas with the new combination bed nets, there was a 51 per cent reduction in risk of a malaria-infective mosquito bite compared to areas with conventional nets.