PRD Cassava

Manihot glaziovii cassava offers numerous benefits for food security and economic health in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The project aims to shine a spotlight on this little-known but promising variety through an ambitious research and development program coordinated by Prof. Bruno van Pottelsberghe of ULB – Solvay Brussels School of Economics & Management.

Financial partners

Background

In the DRC, smallholder farming employs 70% of the working population and this sector accounts for 19% of GDP in 2021. The main crop is cassava, which generates up to 86% of agricultural household income. Cassava is also the staple food for more than 90% of Congolese people, and the DRC is the world’s leading consumer of cassava leaves. The country is also a producer, with nearly 46 million tons of roots harvested in 2021. Cassava cultivation is therefore essential for food security and economic health in the DRC.

Two types of cassava are consumed in the DRC: Manihot esculenta and Manihot glaziovii. The former dominates the market, as both its leaves and tubers are edible. As for the second, only its leaves are edible. These are in high demand and can be produced and consumed all year round, making them an important staple during periods when M. esculenta is no longer available on the market.

Location

Objective

Promote, structure, and strengthen the value chains of Manihot glaziovii leaves, a little-cultivated but highly nutritious cassava variety that is in high demand among consumers in the DRC, thanks to the research of three doctoral students.

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Beneficiaries

Producers of M. glaziovii
The transformers of M. glaziovii
Distributors (merchants, retailers, etc.) of M. glaziovii
The families of farmers in the DRC
Households consuming cassava leaves in the DRC and outside the DRC
The Congolese state and the population as a whole

Issues

Quality and price of raw products: the sector must ensure that products reaching the market meet the required quality criteria, while ensuring that added value is distributed fairly.
Quality of processed products: the processes involved in processing and preserving the leaves must be studied. The leaves require a specific processing method to eliminate cyanogenic compounds, as well as an effective preservation process to ensure they remain edible for more than 48 hours after harvesting.
Identification of varieties and cultivation methods: M. glaziovii varieties must be explored in order to find the most productive and disease-resistant ones. Cultivation methods must also be optimized.

Three theses to answer this question:

Thesis in socio-economics, supervised by Prof. Bruno Van Pottelsberghe of the ULB and Prof. Papy Bonkena of the UNIKIN. This research aims to study and promote a fair and inclusive value chain for M. glaziovii. The results will be discussed with all stakeholders in order to avoid bottlenecks in the development of the sector.
Thesis in nutritional sciences, supervised by Prof. Nicolas Korsak of ULiège, Prof. Rosette Kabwang of UNILU, and Prof. Pierre Duez of UMONS. This research will test a number of processing and preservation techniques to assess the sanitary quality of the food produced. These tests will be carried out both under controlled conditions (laboratories) and in real conditions (in the villages where the food is produced).
Thesis in agronomy, supervised by Prof. Edouard Ilunga, Prof. Marie-Hortense Manyonga Madika from UNILU, and Prof. Papy Bonkena from UNIKIN. This research will aim to characterize the lines of M. glaziovii, both qualitatively (nutritional value, toxicity, tolerance to biotic and/or abiotic stresses) and quantitatively (productivity).

The role of Ucoopia (formerly ULB-Coopération)

Ucoopia (formerly ULB-Coopération) will tailor its research to the needs and realities of family farms in the DRC. While certain techniques or technical approaches may be correct or relevant from a scientific point of view, they do not always meet local constraints.

The varieties identified by agronomists will therefore be tested in the Champs Ecole Paysans (CEP) in Kongo-Central, combining different agroecological technical approaches. Farmers will also be involved in defining the criteria for evaluating the varieties.

The processing and preservation processes will also be tested under real-world conditions with the same members of these CEPs. The samples will be sent to laboratories and compared with samples obtained under controlled conditions.