{"id":13057,"date":"2026-06-20T12:26:18","date_gmt":"2026-06-20T12:26:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dev.iita.org\/news-item\/rethinking-food-security-in-africa\/"},"modified":"2026-06-20T12:26:18","modified_gmt":"2026-06-20T12:26:18","slug":"rethinking-food-security-in-africa","status":"publish","type":"news-item","link":"https:\/\/iita.org\/fr\/news-item\/rethinking-food-security-in-africa\/","title":{"rendered":"Rethinking food security in Africa"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"http:\/\/newint.iita.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/image_gallery-35.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-full wp-image-9756\" src=\"http:\/\/newint.iita.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/image_gallery-35.jpg\" alt=\"Image\" width=\"250\" height=\"170\" \/><\/a>Africa needs to rethink its food import burden  and consider \u2018local content\u2019 options, such as the inclusion of cassava flour in wheat to reduce the rising import bills, says the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture\u2019s Ambassador, Former President Olusegun Obasanjo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The IITA Ambassador views the \u2018local content\u2019 option as part of efforts to free up resources for infrastructural development  and poverty alleviation in the continent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In 2011, estimates show that Africa spent more than $50 billion on food imports. The rising prices of food does not make the situation better in the years ahead, according to Dr. Akin Adesina, Nigeria\u2019s Agriculture Minister who is also an economist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIf we want to develop, we must change our consumption habits. We must consume what is our own, what is around us in Africa. In this way, we will be able to make progress,\u201d Obasanjo added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As the President of Nigeria between 1999  and 2007, Obasanjo promoted a 10 percent cassava inclusion policy in wheat bread in an effort to promote agricultural growth  and diversify the economy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The policy, backed by improved agricultural practices from IITA  and national partners, increased cassava production in Nigeria by 10 million tons within 6 years, making Nigeria the world\u2019s top producer of cassava.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Building on that success, researchers from IITA, working in a pilot bakery, have raised cassava content in bread to 40 percent without compromising quality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Upon tasting the 40 percent cassava bread, Obasanjo exclaimed, \u201cThe taste is good!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe need to promote it to make people adopt  and consume it,\u201d he said. Besides relieving the burden on food imports, the adoption of cassava flour offers several benefits to Africa. It promises to make cassava competitive by creating markets for the root crop  and offering fair prices to farmers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">With climate change taking a negative toll on most grains, cassava production is fast becoming an option. The crop\u2019s tolerance of extreme weather such as drought  and its ability to thrive on poor soils are increasing its appeal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In Nigeria, for instance, the government estimates that the 40 percent inclusion of cassava flour in wheat bread could help the country save about N254 billion ($1.7 billion) annually.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cBut more than savings, this will also provide jobs for our youths,\u201d said Adesina.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The success of the cassava policy in Nigeria aims to radiate benefits to larger aspects of the economy including helping in stabilizing the exchange rate of the naira to the dollar  and more importantly, making the farmers proud  and richer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">FIN<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Pour plus d'informations, veuillez contacter :<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Godwin Atser, <a>g.atser@cgiar.org<\/a><br>Charg\u00e9(e) de la communication d'entreprise (Afrique de l'Ouest et Centrale)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Jeffrey T. Oliver, <a>o.jeffrey@cgiar.org<\/a><br>Charg\u00e9 de communication d'entreprise (international)<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Africa needs to rethink its food import burden and consider \u2018local content\u2019 options, such as the inclusion of cassava flour in wheat to reduce the rising import bills, says the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture\u2019s Ambassador, Former President Olusegun Obasanjo&#8230;<\/p>","protected":false},"featured_media":0,"template":"","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}}},"tags":[],"science-area":[],"program":[],"location":[32],"news-type":[],"hub":[],"crop":[],"impact-areas":[],"item-year":[190],"class_list":["post-13057","news-item","type-news-item","status-publish","hentry","location-nigeria","item-year-190"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.2 - 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