ABSTRACT
Cassava’s tuberous starch storage roots provide over a quarter of the daily overall calorie consumption in some African countries, such as Angola and Mozambique, but for the rural poor it represents a much larger proportion of daily calories (Souza et al., 2016). In addition to the roots, which are the main harvested product, cassava leaves are consumed as a vegetable in at least 60% of the countries in sub-Saharan Africa, providing an important source of proteins, vitamins and micronutrients (USDA, 2016; Latif and Muller, 2015). Cassava leaves are also used as a protein supplement for livestock and are sold for further processing and use, providing important supplementary income for smallholders (Souza et al., 2016; Morgan and Choct, 2016).
