Cassava, “The Lazy Man's Food”? Indigenous Agricultural Innovation And Dietary Change In Northwestern Zambia (ca. 1650–1970)

“They just struggle with their cassava leaves!” This statement typifies the disparaging comments “progressive farmers” and frustrated officials make about the large majority of poorer peasants in the Zambezi and Kabompo districts of northwestern Zambia. ¹ They look down on these peasants because their main crop and staple food is cassava (manioc; botanical name, manihot utilissima; see Figure 1), of which they eat not only the starchy tubers instead of maize, but often even the leaves, instead of “proper relish” (sauce) such as meat or at least fish. “I don’t think we can educate our children with cassava,” another “progressive” maize and vegetable farmer declared; and, talking about his wife who is still growing some cassava, he added: “Cassava is only for consumption, that’s all, so she is doing our consumption.” ²