ABSTRACT
Nigeria provides a central example of critical food security challenges. The country is the world’s largest cassava producer and is experiencing population growth, income inequality, land scarcity, and urbanisation. The past increase in cassava production has mainly been at the expense of the harvested area. Despite this, the supply of cassava does not meet the demand, especially in urban areas. Focusing on cassava grown in peri-urban areas, this chapter assesses the drivers and challenges associated with cassava-based multiple-cropping systems in the suburbs of Port Harcourt. A survey of 150 households, using a structured questionnaire and focus group discussions, along with secondary data, was analysed for content, correlation, and net annual return of cassava in the different systems. The study shows that since 2010, population growth, food price inflation, and land scarcity pushed peri-urban farmers to abandon crop rotation and adopt continuous multiple-cropping systems. The adoption of these land-use systems helped diversify diets and secure household incomes from cassava, but the transition seems to have disproportionally benefitted households headed by men. The results further highlight the need to implement policies on gender-equal opportunities for land tenure and policies to improve management and access to farm credits and extension services in peri-urban areas. This case study confirms evidence on the role of staple crops in peri-urban multiple-cropping systems in the context of local food security and broader poverty alleviation.
